


Warm and Fuzzy

by yaoichan12



Series: Holiday Stories [5]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Bonding, Christmas, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Getting Back Together, Hanukkah, Humor, Kid Fic, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Romance, T'hy'la, holiday fic, no mreg, still in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-10 02:52:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12902394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yaoichan12/pseuds/yaoichan12
Summary: Single dads Jim and Spock both decide to take a holiday vacation with their children to a cabin in the woods near Lake Tahoe.A mix-up is made and both find that they've booked the same cabin with no other cabins available.They agree to share it and find that they both have greatly missed one another and are still in love despite their mutual breakup six years previous.Their children are cuties who bond instantly as one asked for a husband for their dad for Christmas and the other asked for a sibling.





	1. I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Holiday story time! :)  
> I got the title from the song warm and fuzzy by Billy Gilman. I love his holiday album this time of year.
> 
> I don't know how long this story will be but it's my main focus right now so I hope to finish it for Christmas :)

**San Francisco, California, Earth**

**December 10, 2277**

Jim walked out of his bathroom wearing only a towel and went to his dresser. He opened the top drawer and sighed. Someone had gone through it as a box he kept there was now only partially hidden by his socks and underwear.

He took the box out and opened it. He took out a few pictures that he kept there and smiled. One was from shore leave nine years ago. He and Spock had gone hiking and camping together. Jim had taken what was called a ‘selfie’ of them at the top of a cliff. He, of course, was grinning like crazy while Spock appeared mildly enthused with a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Jim looked at the next picture. One of their crew had taken it a few months before the end of their first five-year mission. It was a New Years party. Jim had been a little tipsy when midnight rolled around. He was seated in Spock’s lap, arms wrapped around the Vulcan’s neck with his lips firmly planted against Spock’s. That had been a wonderful night followed soon by the end of their mission and a first parting of ways.

Jim put the pictures back in the box and ignored the other trinkets he had inside. He hid it back under his underwear and socks before taking what he needed out and got dressed.

He left his room a little while later, wearing his black professor pants, a white undershirt, and socks. As he passed a certain door he gave a few firm knocks before continuing on downstairs and into the kitchen where he began to make breakfast.

When he was nearly done ten minutes later, he called upstairs, “Time to get up!”

.

.

.

“UP!” he called again.

He heard a muffled noise in reply. He sighed and left the kitchen, making his way back upstairs to the bedroom he had knocked on before. He opened the door that had various superhero, starship, and Starfleet stickers adorning it.

“JJ, get your little booty up,” Jim said, turning on the lights.

The mound under the covers moved slightly. “No.”

Jim shook his head. He walked over to the racecar bed and pulled back the cover and sheet revealing a blonde-haired boy in dinosaur footy pajamas. The boy turned onto his stomach and hugged his pillow.

“James Tiberius Kirk Junior, get up.”

The five-year-old moaned then turned over and rubbed his eyes. “I’m sleepy.”

“Hi, sleepy, I’m dad. Now get up.”

JJ pouted and stared up at his daddy with his bright blue eyes.

“If you don’t get up, then I’ll have to eat all the chocolate chip pancakes by myself,” Jim told him.

JJ blinked. “Pancakes?”

“Mmhm.”

“And bacon?”

“There is always bacon in the Kirk household.”

JJ sat up and got out of bed. “Okay, I’m up.”

Jim chuckled. “Good, not go to the bathroom and then come into the kitchen.”

“Okie dokie, daddy!”

Jim left his son to do his business and went back to the kitchen. He finished making breakfast and had the table set by the time his son joined him. They sat at the table together and started to eat.

“My school’s holiday play is Friday,” JJ said.

“I’ll be there as will Uncle Bones and Auntie Carol.”

“Is Joanna coming? Wait, are the twins coming, too?” JJ asked with a sigh.

Jim shook his head. “Joanna, yes, but I think they got a sitter for the night for the twins.”

“Good, because they always cause trouble.”

“And you don’t?”

JJ grinned and shook his head.

Jim chuckled. “They are toddlers in their threenager stage. You were always giving me attitude and running wild.”

“Nu-uh.”

“Yu-huh, now, eat your breakfast.”

“I am,” JJ said. He stabbed a big piece of pancake with his fork. “Why can’t I take my bath and get my school clothes on before I eat?”

Before Jim could respond, JJ moved the pancake piece to his mouth. Jim watched a big blob of syrup leak from the piece down onto JJ’s pajamas.

“Because like father like son, that’s why,” Jim smiled and said.

JJ took a bit bite of the pancake then looked down at himself. He shrugged then continued to eat. Jim watched his son, thinking he was the cutest thing ever.

* * *

 

After breakfast, Jim ushered the boy into the upstairs bathroom with the order to take a quick shower. JJ gave him a roger and Jim left him alone. He went back downstairs and into the living room. He grabbed his PADD from the coffee table and checked his messages. He had one from Bones, a few were from Starfleet Command about upcoming meetings, another few were from the command-track cadets at Starfleet Academy he supervised and taught in a few tactical classes and hostile species training, and several from some vacation rental company that would’ve leave him alone.

He replied to one from Bones, confirming their lunch date that afternoon and replied to the others from Command and his students. He was about to put the vacation ones into the spam folder when he heard a thump from upstairs.

Jim sighed. He tossed his PADD down onto the sofa and quickly went upstairs. He opened the door to the bathroom and found his son sitting on the floor in his undies, playing with his bath toys. JJ jumped in surprise and tried to look innocent.

“I was just seeing which ones I could play with in the bath, Daddy.”

Jim shook his head. “You are taking a shower, not a bath. You don’t need your toys. Put them back in the basket.”

“But…”

“James Tiber…”

“Okay, okay.” JJ pouted and reluctantly put his toys back in the designated toy bin and then put the bin back under the sink. He stood up. “Okay, I’m getting my shower now.”

“Thank you.”

Jim left, shutting the door behind him. He made it a few steps away before he cursed at himself. “Idiot.” Jim turned back and opened the door again. JJ looked like the cat that had ate the cannery. He had the bin back out and a toy in one hand.

“I was just…”

Jim shook his head. He entered the room fully, put the toys away, picked his son up, undressed him completely, then placed him in the shower stall.

“I can do it myself,” JJ said.

“Apparently not.” Jim turned on the water and apologized as it came out cold at first causing his boy to shriek. He turned it onto warm then shut the curtain, giving his son some privacy. Jim then leaned against the counter and waited. “You have five minutes.”

“I thought ten minutes,” JJ replied.

“That was like ten minutes ago when you were playing with your toys. Now, you get five or else we’ll be late.”

“I can do this myself, you know. I don’t need to be watched.”

“I do know, but just in case you decide to sneak out and play with your toys, I’m going to stand right here.”

“Dag nabit.”

Jim laughed lightly at his son.

* * *

 

“When I’m bigger, can I walk myself to school?” JJ asked thirty minutes later as they left their townhouse. Starfleet was only several blocks away, as was JJ’s school, so most mornings, the father and son walked together. If Jim was running late, which happened on the occasion, he would drive them instead

“Maybe,” Jim replied. He held his son’s hand and adjusted his shoulder back on his other side. “What are you doing in school today?”

JJ shrugged. “I don’t know. Probably the same things we did yesterday. Math stuff, reading stuff, science stuff, oh, I think we have art today.”

“Art is fun.”

“Yeah, especially when we get to paint.”

Jim smiled fondly and shook his head. On those days, his boy came home with his clothes covered in paint despite wearing a smock to protect from such things.

“What are you doing today at work, Daddy?”

“Oh the same stuff—teaching, meetings, reports, oh, I am meeting Uncle Bones for lunch.”

“Can I come too?”

“No, you have school.”

“Dag nabit.”

They stopped at an intersection and waited for the signal to cross. JJ looked up at the sky. “Is it going to snow?”

“It hasn’t snowed in San Francisco in about a hundred years, buddy.”

JJ looked up at his daddy. “Can’t you make it snow.”

“No, buddy, I can’t.”

“Can we go visit Nana then? It snowed last year for Christmas when we went.”

Jim shook his head. “Not this year. Remember we went for Thanksgiving and now Nana is going off planet to visit Uncle Sam and Aunt Aurelan and your cousins.”

JJ nodded and looked away. They started to walk again. JJ looked back up at his daddy. “Can we still go and stay in Riverside even though Nana isn’t there? I want it to snow for Christmas.”

“Nana is renting the place out to a couple of her friends for Christmas until the New Year.”

“So…we can’t go?”

“Afraid not.”

“Dag nabit.”

“Dag nabit is right,” Jim agreed. “But hey, we’ll have a fun Christmas here. We’ll see Santa at the mall and decorate the house inside and out. We’ll put the tree up and decorate it while listening to Christmas songs.”

JJ sighed. “It’s a fake tree, though. Nana had a real one last year.”

“Yeah, well, real ones are fire hazards.” Jim squeezed his son’s hand and smiled down at him. “Tell me again what you asked Santa for in the letter you mailed him.”

JJ beamed and started swinging his hand with his dad’s, back and forth. “A new bike.”

 _Check,_ Jim mentally checked off that he’d gotten that present for his son and had it hiding in his office at Starfleet.

“Racecar toys, books…”

_Check, check._

“Starship toys.”

_Check._

“Play-doh, a puppy, and some legos.”

 _Check, nope, and check._ “That’s a lot of things, Junior.”

“I know,” JJ nodded. “That’s why I told Santa that I’d be happy with just a few things, like a bike and a puppy.”

Jim internally sighed. As much as he would like to get a puppy, he didn’t have the time to take care of one. _Maybe we could get a cat. They’re pretty self-sufficient._

“What about you, daddy?”

“Me?”

“Yeah, what do you want Santa to bring you?”

“Oh, the same as you: a bike, starship toys, legos, and play-doh.”

JJ giggled and shook his head. “No, daddy, that stuffs for me. You gotta think of something else.”

“I’m sure whatever Santa brings me, I’ll be happy with it.” Bones usually took JJ shopping and helped him pick out a nice shirt for Jim and a new book. JJ’s school also had a holiday shop that Jim always gave his son a few credits to do some Christmas shopping with. Last year, JJ very proudly have Jim a mug from the shop that said ‘Star Dad, best Dad in the galaxy’. Jim loved that mug and used it most mornings for coffee or tea.

“What about a husband?”

That stopped Jim in his tracks. He turned and looked at his son. “What?”

JJ looked up at him. “A husband. Uncle Bones said you need one so you should ask Santa for a husband.”

Jim blinked. _I’m going to kill Bones._ He knelt down before his son and smiled. “I don’t need a husband.”

“Well what about me?”

“You don’t need a husband either, you’re five.”

JJ giggled. “No, I’m not getting married, daddy. Ew. I mean that…I could ask Santa for another parent…another dad and that way I get one and you get a husband.”

A jolt when to Jim’s heart. He touched his son’s cheek gently. “As nice as that sounds, its just you and me, Junior.”

JJ smiled softly back at his daddy. “Yeah, just you and me. The two musketeers.”

Jim grinned and nodded. “Yep, the two musketeers.”

“We could still get a puppy, though, and then we could be the three musketeers.”

Jim sighed.

* * *

 

“I need a husband?” Jim plopped down in front of Bones in the cafeteria with his tray of food and said.

Bones chuckled. “He told you, huh?”

“Oh yes. Wanted to know what I wanted for Christmas then said I should get a husband because Uncle Bones said I needed one. Really, Bones?”

“The kid kept pestering me about what to get you and husband just blurted out. I had just showed him some pictures from our times on the Enterprise and Spock was…”

“Don’t talk about Spock.”

“Why? Ya’ll were together for the last few years of our first five-year mission and then…”

“We broke up,” Jim interrupted.

“Only during the year interim between that ending and the next five-year mission starting. Once ya’ll were back in each other’s arms…”

Jim arched a brow at that.

“Once you were back in his strong Vulcan arms,” Bones restated with a grin.

 “Yeah, okay, we were together, then broke up, then back together and then, guess what? We broke up again, but it was…it was mutual.”

“It’s never mutual.”

Jim shook his head as his heart and head started to ache. “It _was_ mutual. The second mission was coming to an end and our relationship came to a crossroad. The brass wanted me at Yorktown to help deal with a Klingon situation and Spock’s dad was sick. We went our separate ways.”

“I still think you two could’ve stayed together. Hell, you went through two of those Vulcan mating frenzy things with him. We all thought ya’ll were practically married because of that.”

Jim shrugged. The crew had started calling them Space Husbands at the start of the second mission. Neither of them talked about the future or marriage or bonding. Jim had felt like Spock was there, in the back of his head after both pon farrs. Sometimes it still felt like was there in his head.

Spock had melded with him both times. It had been magnificent—feeling Spock surrounding him, in him in more ways then one, but that had been it. Spock never told them if they were bonded or not. He figured they didn’t or else they wouldn’t have ended it.

“No, not married or bonded or anything,” Jim said. “Besides if we hadn’t’ve broken up, then I wouldn’t have had JJ and Spock wouldn’t have had his kid.”

“That’s right, he does have a kid, but he could be single.”

“I doubt it,” Jim replied. “Vulcans aren’t ones for one-night stands or casual relationships according to Spock. He probably has a bond mate to go with his kid.”

“Or he could be single.”

Jim tossed a french fry at his friend. “Leave it alone. I don’t need a husband.” Jim’s PADD beeped. He took it out of his bag and sighed. “What I need is for this vacation company to stop sending me messages. No, I don’t want to go to Lake Tahoe for Christmas.”

“Lake Tahoe?” Bones took the PADD from Jim and looked at the message. “This actually looks pretty cool. You’ll have a cabin in the woods, just outside of Lake Tahoe all to yourself, tickets to their holiday village and celebrations, and ski passes.” Bones looked at his friend. “I’d go if Carol and I weren’t taking the twins to her mother’s in London.” He handed the PADD back.

Jim looked over the ad again. The price was extremely doable. The cabin looked beautiful in the snow. It appeared to already have some lights strung up outside and some holiday decorations inside. Three bedrooms, one a master suite, one with two twin beds for kids, and the other a guest room, a sizable open floor plan complete with a fireplace, stocked kitchen, and a place to put a big tree.

“You’re smiling, Jim,” Bones told him, nudging his foot under the table.

Jim nodded. “JJ does want a white Christmas again this year and I do have enough leave saved up for the trip. Looks like it would be fun.”

“Do it then!”

Jim looked back at the ad one last time. “Yeah, alright. Christmas at Lake Tahoe it is.”

* * *

 

 

**New ShirKahr, New Vulcan**

**December 12, 2277**

Spock plated the blueberry pancakes that had just finished cooking. He picked up the ladle and scooped out two more globs of pancake batter onto the griddle to make two more pancakes. He heard footsteps behind him and turned his head slightly to see who it was.

“Good morning, Sa-mekh,” Spock greeted Sarek.

“Good morning,” Sarek replied. He walked to the counter beside Spock and reached for the tea kettle. Instead of grabbing the tea kettle, a small cup was placed in his hands instead by Spock. Sarek arched a brow and looked at his son.

“Your morning medication,” Spock simply said.

“I am not an invalid, Spock.”

“I am aware. Now take your medication and your tea. There is a blueberry oatmeal on the table for your breakfast.”

Sarek shook his head and took his medicine. Spock knew his father didn’t need any reminders to take his medications nor did he need Spock to take care of him, but Spock felt he had to—for his mother. He watched his father take his cup of green tea and head to the table.

“I want pancakes as well,” Sarek said.

Spock wanted to say they were not heart healthy but let it go. He finished making the pancakes and set the plate with them in the middle of the table.

“Is she awake?” Sarek asked.

“I do not know,” Spock replied before leaving the room. He walked down one hallway and stopped at the first door. He was about to poke his head in when he heard soft music coming from the room at the end of the hall. Spock walked towards the room and stood in the doorway.

His five-year-old daughter was in her practice ballet leotard, dancing to her part of the Children's Gallop from her ballet’s school’s production of the Nutcracker. Spock watched her dance with a small smile on his face. Her hair, which clearly hadn’t been dealt with yet, was bouncing as she danced.

The music stopped after a few moments and his presence was finally noticed.

Brown eyes met his. “Good morning, Sa-mekh.”

“Good morning, T’Via. Why are you in here?”

“I thought my timing was off yesterday at practice. I wanted to be sure that it was not so I awoke early to practice.”

Spock walked into the room and stood before her. “Your timing is perfect, but as you are only five, I do not want you to stress over a hobby. Do you plan to continue ballet as a career?”

T’Via shook her head, her untamed black head of curls going to and fro. “Negative. I plan to become a doctor and work for Starfleet.”

Spock arched a brow. “I thought you planned to become a physicists and work with the Vulcan exploratory group?”

“That was last year, Sa-mekh. My career path has changed now.”

Spock internally chuckled. She was still young. Spock went through many career path ideas before he was ten. He would never expect his daughter to make a life decision so young, but it was cute when she did.

“Breakfast is ready. I made blueberry pancakes and there is fruit as well. Please put a robe on over your leotard and come to the kitchen.”

“Affirmative, Sa-mekh.”

Spock nodded and left her to it. He made his way back to the kitchen and found that all but two of the pancakes were gone.

“Father, pancakes…”

“Were delicious. Thank you.” Sarek sipped his tea and read from his PADD.

Spock internally sighed and placed the last two pancakes on T’Via’s plate for her. He would just have fruit that morning and some oatmeal. Spock placed a cup of milk beside his daughter’s plate then sat down across from her spot. She came into the room a few moments later in her lavender robe.

“Ha'tha ti'lu, Sa'mekh'al,” T’Via sat down and greeted Sarek.

“To you as well, T’Via. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I did, but I did have a peculiar dream. During my ballet recital the sugar plum fairy turned into the rat king and ran off with the nutcracker prince leaving us all confused and dancing around illogically.”

Sarek nodded. “That is, indeed, peculiar. Your recital will turn out nothing like that dream, though.”

“I hope not. I do not want to dance around illogically.”

“T’Via, you need to eat,” Spock spoke.

She nodded and looked to her plate. After a beat she looked expectantly at Spock. “My pancakes are not cut up into squares or rectangles, Sa-mekh.”

Spock took her plate and started to cut up her pancakes. T’Via looked at her grandfather. “Did you take your required medication this morning?”

Sarek blinked then gave Spock a look.

“We love you and wish you to be healthy,” Spock said simply.

“Yes, no more heart attacks.” T’Via patted her grandfather on the arm. “You should eat your blueberry oatmeal.” She inclined her head towards the untouched bowl next to her grandfather. “Father said that whole grains like oats help prevent artery-clogging atherosclerosis by interfering with cholesterol absorption and blueberries are packed with cholesterol-lowering pectin and disease-fighting antioxidants.”

Sarek gave Spock another look. Spock looked away sheepishly. He gave his daughter back her plate and placed her the sugar-free syrup near her.

“Eat your breakfast,” Sarek told his granddaughter.

“I will if you eat yours,” She replied.

Spock knew his father could not say no to T’Via. She had him, and Spock, wrapped around her little finger.

Sarek caved, as expected and put his PADD down. He started to eat and soon T’Via followed suit.

Spock internally smiled at the site before eating his own breakfast.

* * *

 

After a sonic shower and dressing in her school clothes, Spock stood in the bathroom with her and tamed her curls when a routine that took him three years to perfect. Brushing the wet hair, a curl cream, and spritz of a curl spray. After a half hour, Spock stood back and mentally patted himself on the back.

His daughter was beautiful and now had a head of styled, manageable curls. T’Via nodded at herself in the mirror then stepped down from her stool that helped her reach the sink and look into the mirror above the sink.

She looked up at Spock. The volkaya necklace that had once belonged to his mother and then Nyota was around her neck—a gift from Nyota who said it should be kept in the family.

“Thank you, father. As always, your work is commendable.”

“You are welcome. Now it is time to leave for school and work.”

“Yes. I will collect my bag and grandfather and meet you at the car in five point two minutes.”

Spock nodded and left her alone. He went down the hall to his own room and collected his belongings for the day. He took his PADD from the bedside table and paused at the picture of him and Jim that rotated with his other screensavers. As soon as Spock touched Jim’s face the PADD’s screen went to the home screen. Spock internally sighed. It had been six long years, he knew he should move on. He was certain Jim had as Nyota had informed him three years previous that Jim now had a son.

_A son with a wife or husband most likely._

Spock pushed the thoughts away and pulled up his messages. He saw that the starship Nyota was serving on was docked at a nearby planet for shore leave and she was now on New Vulcan for a few days and wished to meet up. Spock replied that that was most agreeable. While no longer a couple, their friendship was still strong and T’Via loved spending time with her godmother.

Spock checked his other messages, most from students at the VSA and a few from the council regarding upcoming meetings. The last several messages were from a travel agency based on Earth wanting him to book a Holiday vacation to Lake Tahoe. Spock shook his head and deleted them. Lake Tahoe this time of year on Earth was too cold.

“Father, it is now past time to depart,” T’Via appeared in the doorway and said. “Grandfather said we should leave without you but I said ‘no’.”

“I am grateful you said no this time.” Spock put his PADD in his bag and walked over to his daughter. “Last week you and grandfather did leave me.”

T’Via looked away innocently. “Well, grandfather said it was logical that we not be late because you were not ready.”

Spock reached down and picked her up like she weighed nothing and settled her on his hip. “Well I am ready to depart now so let us see if Grandfather has left both us.”

“He would not leave me,” T’Via said with an almost smile.

Spock kissed her forehead then carried her out of the room and towards the front of the house where Sarek was waiting.

* * *

 

Since Spock had come out of the house too late with T’Via, Sarek had taken control of the driver’s seat and wouldn’t move despite Spock’s protests. With a grumpy face, as Jim would have called it, Spock reluctantly sat in the passenger seat after securing T’Via in her booster seat in the back.

Sarek was an exceptionally driver. Spock still worried about his health and when another heart episode would present itself. He hadn’t had one in three years, but you just never knew.

“T’Via,” Spock spoke, turning his head slightly to look into the backseat. “Aunt Nyota is in town for a few days.”

T’Via’s brown eyes lit up. “Aunt Nyota is here? When can we see her? I can take the day off of school if…”

“No, you will not. We will have her over to dinner tonight and I am certain, she would love to come to your ballet recital tomorrow.”

T’Via nodded her head several times in excitement. “Yes, that is acceptable.” She touched her necklace. “Will she stay for Hanukkah?”

“I do not believe so, kan-bu.”

“Sa-mekh, I am not a baby,” T’Via said, reminding Spock of how he acted when his mother called him kan-bu. He now understood her reply that ‘he’d always be her baby’.

Spock turned back around and watched the road.

“Like father, like daughter,” Sarek said softly.

“Indeed.”

“Father?”

“Yes, T’Via.”

“Yesterday in science, I learned about the water cycle and types of precipitation.”

“Did you?”

“Affirmative. Snow looked most interesting, but my teacher said that it does not snow on New Vulcan and it did not snow on Vulcan either.”

“Indeed, it does not.”

“It does snow on Earth,” Sarek said. “Especially during this time of year there.”

“May we go to Earth and see the snow?”

Spock shook his head. “No. We have no reason to go to Earth.”

“Snow…”

“Is not a good reason," Spock interrupted. He glanced back at his daughter and saw a grumpy expression on her face. He thought it was cute.

* * *

 

After dropping T’Via off at school, Sarek and Spock went to work at the VSA. Spock taught his morning class, conducted an entrance interview, and them made his way to a local restaurant for lunch with Nyota.

She hugged him tight when she saw him which he allowed. He’d gotten used to certain people hugging him over the years. Nyota, Sulu once at a New Years party several years ago, and of course, Jim. She released him after a moment and they took their seats.

Nyota’s hair was a little shorter now, coming to rest just above her shoulders. He wondered if she still wore in up in a ponytail.

“It seems like its been forever since we last saw one another,” she said with a smile. “But I know the last time was at little one’s birthday in March.”

“Nine months,” Spock said. “You presented her with the necklace that I…”

“That you gave me, yes, but I did tell you I would find a way to gift it back and I did. It belongs with your daughter now, Spock, with Amanda’s granddaughter.”

Spock nodded. “She never takes it off.”

“Which I’m sure you love so that you can track her if need be,” Uhura told him, her eyes twinkling knowingly.

“I would never.”

“Uh-huh, sure. So, how is she? She sent a message a month ago saying she was dancing in the Nutcracker. I am quite surprised that Vulcans do that ballet.”

“It is a classic. T’Via’s ballet class consists of many species including a few humans.”

“What are her parts?”

“She is child party guest three and one of Mother Ginger’s polichinelles. Her recital is tomorrow evening.”

“I will be there. Front row, center.”

“She will be happy to have you there.”

Nyota smiled before asking, “So how are you, Spock?”

“I am well.”

“Aren’t you, you know…due soon?” She asked in a whisper.

“Due soon?”

Nyota raised her brows. “That thing…your time.”

Spock sighed. “Oh. Yes. That. No, not yet. My last one was later than expected so I do not expect this next one to appear on the same time track. Perhaps midway through next year.”

“Plenty of time to contact Jim then.”

“Certainly not.”

“Why?”

“He has moved on…”

“You don’t know that.”

“He has a child.”

“So do you but you’re single and besides, you said you thought a small bond had formed during your last time.”

Spock shook his head. One had formed but when he and Jim parted ways, he tried to break it but found he couldn’t. Instead, he buried it, deep down and kept it shielded from Jim. Jim may have agreed to see him through his time, but they had never talked of bonding. When it was all over with and done, there second five-year mission had come to a close and they parted ways mutually.

Spock had ached for Jim those first few months but an opportunity presented itself and he had his daughter and moved on as had Jim with his own child.

“I was mistaken,” he told his friend. “I have been seeing a skilled mind adept for the past three years. We are both confident that I can make it through my next time without needing another.”

“Spock…”

“How are you, Nyota? Are you and Scotty still engaged in a long-distance relationship?”

Nyota’s smile softened. She nodded. “Yep, we’re still going strong. He likes his ship. I like mine. We make time whenever possible.”

“I am pleased to hear you two are still together.”

* * *

 

Spock nearly smiled as he watched Nyota carry T’Via into the house the next evening after the recital.

“Amazing! Magnificent! A simply marvelous performance by Miss T’Via!” Nyota sang.

T’Via giggled in her arms. Nyota put her down in the den. Spock and Sarek followed and took seats while T’Via did a few bows.

“Maybe next you’ll get to be Clara,” Nyota told her.

“No, you have to be at least ten to be Clara,” T’Via replied. She stood in the middle of the room, dressed normally except for her hair which was still pulled back in a bun, showing off her pointy ears.

“Oh darn.”

“Indeed,” Sarek agreed.

Spock’s PADD on the coffee table used that moment to ping, indicating a message. He said excuse me and picked it up. He shook his head at yet another vacation advertisement message.

“Everything alright, Spock?” Nyota asked.

“Yes, merely spam.”

“What is spam?” T’Via asked, coming over to her father and sitting next to him. She look at the PADD’s screen. “Oh that is a pretty house!”

“It is a cabin.” Spock closed his eyes for a moment as Nyota took the seat next to him and Sarek scooted closer to sit beside T’Via. They all looked at his PADD.

“That is a pretty Christmas cabin,” Nyota agreed. “And its in Lake Tahoe. The snow is beautiful there this time of year.”

“Snow?” T’Via questioned.

“Yes, it has snow.”

Sarek took the PADD from Spock. “Lake Tahoe?” Sarek’s eyes darted over the page. “This is for a holiday vacation. You will have a cabin in the woods, just outside of Lake Tahoe all to yourself, tickets to their holiday village and celebrations, and ski passes.”

Spock took the PADD from his father. “It is merely an ad.”

“I wish to go and see the snow and ski. What is skiing? Does the holiday village have Hanukkah decorations and activities? Why is the cabin light up with bright, colored lights? Does it have to do with Christmas? May we celebrate Christmas this year?”

“T’Via,” Spock said, hushing his daughter.

Nyota took the PADD from him this time. “The price is really good, Spock. The cabin is beautiful in the snow. It has three bedrooms, one a master suite, one with two twin beds for kids, and the other a guest room. It has a sizable open floor plan complete with a fireplace, stocked kitchen, and a place to put a big Christmas tree.”

T’Via’s eyes widened. “Father, please may we go?”

Spock internally sighed. “T’Via, snow is cold and wet and…”

“Grandmother Amanda grew up loving the snow,” Sarek interrupted.

T’Via looked at him and then back to her father. “We should go in memory of Grandmother.” She touched her necklace. “Please? I will rescind two items from my Hanukkah gift list. I know longer want a new telescope or junior hoverbike. I would still like a kitten or a sehlat and a little sibling.”

Nyota chuckled beside him. “Little sibling.”

Spock looked at his daughter. Her eyes looked bigger and browner somehow. She also had a small smile on her face.

How could he tell her no?


	2. Frosty the Snowman

“Look at all the snow!” JJ exclaimed as he jumped from Jim’s rented SUV. Before he could set foot in the white, fluffy untouched snow just a few feet away, Jim grabbed him up.

“You are not wearing your snow boots or proper clothes to play in,” Jim told his son. He had just parked the SUV when his son decided to unbuckled himself from his booster seat and let himself out. The driveway had luckily been plowed, leaving a nice path from the main road up to the two-car garage. The walkway from the driveway to the front porch had been shoveled as well.

“But I wanna play in the snow,” JJ whined, trying to squirm out of his dad’s hold.

“You will. Just let us get inside and get settled in first.”

“Oh alright.”

Jim put his son down and started unpacking the SUV. When he had his arms full and even had loaded JJ up with a few items, they headed up the path to the porch and walked up to stand before the front door.

“You got a key, right?” JJ asked.

"Yeah, I got a key." Jim put a bag down and took the key that had been left for him at the vacation rental offices. He unlocked the door and opened it.

“Whoa, this place is big,” JJ said.

Jim nodded in agreement. “I think that the master suite is that way.” Jim nodded to a hallway just off from the kitchen area. “And upstairs,” Jim looked at the opposite side of the cabin interior to the stair case that led up to a landing with a wooden railing that already had garland with red poinsettias wrapped around the rails and banister. There were three doors upstairs that Jim could see. “One is the guest room, the middle door is the bathroom, and the other door is your room.”

“Can’t I have the guest room?”

“No,” Jim chuckled. “The bed in there is too big for just you.”

Jim put his luggage in the master suite then helped JJ find the kid’s room upstairs and put his two suitcases down. Before Jim could say what they were doing to do next, JJ had already opened one suitcase and started digging through it.

“Junior,” Jim sighed as his son pulled out all his snow gear.

“I wanna play in the snow, daddy. Please, please please!”

Jim smiled. He remembered when he used to be that excited about playing in the snow. He nodded. “Yeah, okay. You’ll need…”

“I know, I know! Thermal undies, my thick socks, jacket, pants, and then my snow overalls, big coat, gloves, and my snow boots! Oh and a hat!”

Jim was impressed that his boy remembered all of that. _Well he is a Kirk,_ Jim thought.

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, Jim watched his son, all bundled up in his green and black snow outfit, run out of the house and dive into the 2 feet of snow. His son let out a happy sound as he started jumping around and throwing snow up in the air.

“Daddy, daddy! Can I make a snowman?”

Jim walked out of the house and shivered at the cold air that hit him. He was only wearing a moderately thick winter jacket alone with his jeans and regular shoes. He walked down the steps and grabbed a handful of snow with his barehand. It felt thick enough for snowman building. The snow turned into a tight ball in his hand as he played with it.

“Go for it, buddy.”

JJ grinned. “I’m going to build like six in the drive way to keep intruders away.”

“No, no driveway building. Just stay in the yard and build snowmen?”

“Fine.”

Jim tossed the snowball he’d made at his son then walked down the path to the SUV and finished unpacking. As he went back inside he told his son not to wonder off and to come inside if he gets too cold or too hot in the gear. JJ gave him a roger then continued rolling snow to build snowmen.

Jim shut the front door but kept it unlocked. He did open the curtains so he had a clear view outside or his boy who was building the snowmen in the driveway. Jim shook his head at his son not listening to him, but let him be.

“This _is_ a sweet ass place,” Jim said, looking around the cabin again. There were two large, comfy looking sofas in front of the fireplace with a flat screen tv overhead. _Nice._

There was an open spot just off to the side that would be perfect for a large tree. The vaulted ceiling in the living room mean they could get as big as a tree as they wanted. Jim walked over to the spot and sat down the two boxes he’d carried in of Christmas decorations. They would have to get some more for a big tree.

Jim went to the kitchen next and found it stocked with some necessary items. He found a coffee maker and a teapot with some fine ground coffee that Jim was impressed with as well as a few boxes of tea. Jim arched his brow at one and picked it up.

He remembered this box. Had seen it countless times before in Spock’s quarters and many times in Jim’s during their two five-year missions. Vulcan spice tea.

Jim opened the box and took a whiff of the scent. He closed his eyes as the smell brought back memories of their time together—playing chess, Spock working on reports while Jim lounged on the couch and read a book, and Spock gently kissing him awake after letting him sleep in for a few extra minutes before their shifts. He could almost taste it again on Spock’s lips. A warm thrum went through the back of his head. Something that happened from time to time over the years.

He opened his eyes and put the tea down. Perhaps the owners liked the tea. He put it aside and continued his inspection. It was fully stocked as promised. Probably had more than he’d ever need.

“Need to go to the store, though,” Jim said, seeing that the fridge, freezer, and cabinets were mostly bare. There was a notepad on the island with a pen so Jim grabbed it and started planning what they would need for their time at the cabin.

* * *

 

JJ looked over his snowman and frowned. It was a lot of hard work just making one and the one he made barely came up to his waist. This would not do. The one they made last year at Nana’s was as big as his daddy but his daddy had helped him.

“I’ll call you Frosty Jr,” JJ said to his little snowman. He figured Frosty Jr. would do for now until his daddy came outside and helped him build Frosty Sr. What he needed now was a carrot for Frosty’s nose. He’d already found a few rocks in the driveway for the eyes and mouth as well as two sticks for his arms.

“I’ll be right back,” he told the snowman before turning and running up the path, up the stairs, and into the house.

“Daddy, daddy! I need a carrot and a scarf!”

* * *

 

“Snow is precipitation in the form of ice crystals. It originates in clouds when temperatures are below the freezing point,” T’Via said.

Spock glanced back at her using the rearview mirror of the rental car. His daughter was peering out of the window from her booster seat. Their drive from the city to the cabin was a pleasant, sunny drive along a two lane road lined with snow covered ground and trees.  

“And what is the freezing point on Earth?”

T’Via looked away from the window. “Zero degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit. What is the temperature now?”

Spock looked at the temperature gage on the car’s dash. “Forty degrees Fahrenheit.”

“That is cold, Sa-mekh.”

“Yes, it is.”

Spock saw the post up ahead at the end of a driveway that read the house number he was looking for. He slowed down then turned onto the driveway and continued up the long path towards the house.

“Oh wow,” he heard T’Via lightly gasp as the house came into view.

 _Oh wow indeed,_ Spock mentally agreed. He saw another vehicle in the driveway as he approached. He was almost to it when he heard a crunching sound under a tire so he stopped.

“What was that?”

“I believe some snow was on the driveway,” Spock replied. He turned off the car and eyed the other vehicle. Was is the rental agent? He had yet to receive a key for the house so he figured it must be the agent dropping it off. He parked the car and got out. He shivered in the cold air, remembering quickly that he was not fond of the cold or the snow but for his daughter, he would get over it for their vacation.

“Hey!”

Spock turned his head and saw a boy standing on the porch. The boy stepped down the steps and eyed him.

“Hey, mister!” The boy pointed at something. “You killed Frosty!”

Spock followed where the boy was pointing with his eyes and saw a mound of snow under his front driver side tire. A stick stuck out from the side of the mound.

 _Ah, a snowman._ Spock looked back to the boy. “I do apologize. I did not mean to run over your snow person.”

“You killed him and I’m telling!”

“Telling?”

The boy ran up the stairs and yelled into the house, “DADDY! DADDY!” The boy looked at Spock. “When my daddy comes, you’re going to be in big trouble!”

Spock arched a brow. _Daddy? Trouble? What is occurring here?_

“Sa-mekh, who is that boy?” T’Via knocked on the window and asked.

Spock looked at her. “I do not know.”

“What’s going on?” a familiar voice asked, causing Spock shudder and a jolt to spark through him. He hadn’t heard that voice in six years but he would recognize it anywhere. He slowly turned back around.

“Daddy, look, that man killed Frosty!”

“Who killed Frosty?” Jim asked, stepping out onto the porch and finally seeing Spock.

Spock’s breath caught in his throat. There was Jim, his beloved, his captain, his t’hy’la that he had parted from. Jim stared back at him. It felt as if everything stood still around them for a few moments until Jim moved. Spock watched him slowed walk down off of the porch and take a few steps closer but still leaving several feet between them.

“Spock,” Jim said softly.

“Jim.”

Jim’s eyes were still impossibly blue. His blonde hair a little shorter than before but still kept neatly styled. He still was a sight to behold—his beautiful Jim.

Jim looked at him then to the car, no doubt looking at T’Via.

“Daddy, that man killed Frosty,” the boy said again, tugging on Jim’s hand. “Tell him he’s in trouble.”

Jim blinked. “Frosty?”

Spock pointed to his tire and found his voice. “I…I accidently ran over your son’s snowman. I did apologize.”

Jim nodded and looked down at his son.

“Make him in trouble, daddy,” the boy said with a cute pout on his face. “Put him in time out.” The boy did look like Jim’s little clone. Spock wondered if blonde hair was hiding under the boy’s thick stocking cap.

“He said it was an accident and that he apologized,” Jim said. “Did he?”

“Well, yes, but…”

“Uh-uh, JJ, no buts. He apologized and now you accept it. And also, you know you weren’t supposed to build a snowman in the driveway.”

 _JJ? Jim Junior, perhaps?_ Spock thought.

“But…”

“James Tiberius Kirk Jr.,” Jim said sternly. “Either accept his apology for the accident or you can take your butt inside for a timeout because you are being rude.”

James Tiberius Kirk Jr—JJ—shook his head. He then looked to Spock. “Apology accepted, mister.”

“Thank you,” Spock said. He looked to Jim. “Are you the rental agent?”

Jim chuckled and stepped closer so a few feet were between them. “No, I’m renting this place.”

Spock raised a brow. “That is curious because I am also renting this place.”

“Sa-mekh, what is going on?” T’Via asked, stepping out of the car to stand next to Spock.

“Yeah, daddy, what’s goin’ on?” JJ asked as well.

Jim and Spock stared at one another. They both wanted to know that as well. Before either could say something else, though, a car came up the driveway and came to a stop behind Spock’s wagon.

An older man jumped out of the car and quickly walked towards them. “Mr. Spock. Mr. Kirk. I am so sorry for this mix-up.”

“Mix-up?” they both asked.

The man nodded. “Yes, hi, hi,” he nodded to both of them and the kids. “I’m Mr. Q, the rental agent. It seems there was a hiccup with reservations. You both booked this cabin for the holiday season for the exact same time. I didn’t realize it until you,” he waved his hand in Jim’s direction. “Picked up the keys earlier and then you,” he waved his hand at Spock this time. “Called about picking up your key. I am so, so sorry about all of this.”

“So,” Jim started. Spock glanced to him and saw the blonde lick his lips, a gesture Spock had missed. “We both have the cabin booked for the holidays at the same time which is now. What are we supposed to do?”

“You and your son were here first. I am certain you and your wife or husband wished to be alone as a family,” Spock said. “We will leave…”

“No, father, you promised,” T’Via grabbed his wrist and tugged. “You promised winter and snow and honoring Grandmother.”

“Oh jeez,” Jim said gazing at Spock. “Look, I’m not married or anything. It’s just me and JJ. You can’t break that promise to your daughter. I’m sure your bond mate is coming too so JJ and I will just leave…”

“No, daddy! Snow! You promised me a white Christmas, dag nabit,” JJ said, tugging on Jim’s hand.

“And as you have promised something to JJ, I cannot allow you to leave either,” Spock replied, gazing back at Jim. “And there is no bond mate. It is just me and T’Via.”

 _Jim is not married or with anyone,_ Spock thought.

 _Spock is single,_ Jim also was thinking.

Q looked between them. “Um…does this mean…you’ll share the cabin?”

Spock and Jim continued to stare at one another.

“There are three rooms. The kids could share the one with the twin beds,” Jim said.

“Indeed, they could,’ Spock agreed.

“So, we’re sharing?”

“I believe we are.”

Jim broke out into a wondrous smile. “Cool.”

“Indeed.”

“What’s going on?” JJ and T’Via asked at the same time, staring up at their dads.

Jim and Spock finally looked away to the rental agent.

“We will share,” Spock told him.

Q smiled. “Oh goodie. This is perfect because there are no hotel rooms available or any other cabins or rental spots open. I will refund half your payments on the rental, though, as an apology, and offer you one more free day on your rentals.”

“Thanks, that would be great,” Jim said.

Q nodded and handed Spock an extra key. “Please do have a lovely Christmas, Hanukkah, Yule, and anything else you all will be celebrating. Thank you so much for agreeing to share despite my grievous error of booking.” Q made his way back to his car and quickly left, leaving Spock, T’Via, Jim, and JJ staring at one another.

“What is going on?” JJ asked.

Jim looked down at his son. “JJ, this is Mr. Spock, my old first officer from the Enterprise.”

JJ’s eyes lit up. “Oh really?” JJ looked at Spock. “You’re Vulcan! My daddy tells me stories of his missions and my Uncle Bones does too and I’ve seen pictures. Hi!”

“Hello,” Spock offered the boy a Vulcan salute. Next to him, T’Via also raised her hand. "JJ, this is my daughter, T'Via."

"Hi," JJ waved at her. 

"Greetings," T'Via waved back. "How old are you?"

"I'm five. How old are you?"

"Five."

JJ looked up at Jim. "Daddy, she's five like me."

"I heard. JJ, Mr. Spock and his daughter will be staying with us for the holidays. You and her will share a room.”

“Okie dokie! C’mon, T'Via, I’ll show you the room!” Before JJ could run off Jim grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

“How about I show them inside and you stay out here. You’ll just track snow and water everywhere.”

“Okay, I can do that. I’ll make Frosty Senior since Mr. Spock killed Frosty Junior.”

Spock cocked his head to the side as the boy turned and bounded back into the snow. Jim shook his head.

“You two aren’t dressed that well for the cold so why don’t you come on in and get warm and then I can help you get your luggage.”

Despite both wearing heavy winter jackets, Spock had forgotten gloves and other proper snow/cold weather attire. He did plan to go to a store later. He nodded at Jim. “Thank you.”

Spock and T’Via followed Jim into the house. Spock couldn’t help that his eyes trailed down Jim’s jacket covered back down to Jim’s still pleasing posterior. Jim led them inside and pointed out the features that Spock remembered from the advertisement.

They walked up the stairs and Jim pointed out the guest room. It was modest in size with a queen size bed, two bedside tables, a dresser, and a closet.

“I’ve already put my stuff in the master suite, but we could switch if you want,” Jim then said. “I can take my stuff out and…”

“No, this room is adequate,” Spock told him. “There is no need to switch rooms.”

“Okay, cool,” Jim said with a lick of his lips again. He then showed them the bathroom and then the children’s room. “I set JJ up with the bed on the left and the dresser on that side.”

T’Via walked over to the free bed. “This one is satisfactory. Thank you, Mr. Kirk or should I call you Captain Kirk?”

“Jim is fine.”

“Fine has…”

“Variable definitions,” Jim finished. “I know all about fine from your dad.”

T’Via walked over to Jim and looked up at him. “My father has your picture on his scre…hmph…”

Spock gently placed his hand over his daughter’s mouth. “I have your picture as well as the rest of our crew displayed on my PADD as a screensaver.” Spock removed his hand and didn’t look down as he knew his daughter was giving him a less than pleased look.

Jim gave him a smile at that. Oh, how Spock had missed those smiles. “Right, so do I. We all made a great team. I miss it.”

“As do I.” _I miss you the most._

“Do you need help with your luggage?” Jim asked.

Spock shook his head. “No. Thank you. I will retrieve everything.”

“Are you sure?”

“I am. Thank you again.”

Jim nodded then left them alone. Spock watched him leave and only looked away from the empty doorway when his daughter poked him in the stomach. He looked down.

“Firstly,” she began. “Please desist from placing your hand over my mouth in the future.”

“Of course. My apologies.”

“Secondly, why did you lie to Jim? You only have pictures of the two of you together on your PADD’s screen. Your crew pictures are saved on the PADD in the folders labeled ‘five-year mission one’ and ‘five-year mission two’. You also have a picture of him in your bedside table.”

Spock’s left eye started to twitch. He knelt down in front of his pride and joy. “Please do not mention the pictures. Please.”

“Alright. Now, thirdly,” she continued. “What is a Frosty and why did you kill him?”

Spock internally sighed and then explained who Frosty was.

* * *

 

Jim checked on his son outside then hid himself in the master suite’s bathroom with his communicator. Bones picked up on the second ring.

“How’s the trip…”

“Oh my god! Spock is here!” Jim interrupted his friend.

“Wait. What?”

“Spock. My ex. My former first officer. Your favorite green blooded hobgoblin with adorable pointy ears and bowlcut and breathtaking chocolate brown eyes…is here.”

“Spock is there at the cabin with you?”

“Yes. He is here with his daughter. A daughter! And guess what? She’s adorable too! Looks like just him but with longer hair that is curly and just so cute.”

“It seems like you’re freaking out, Jim. You need to calm down.”

“I am calm!” Jim snapped. “My ex is here with his daughter looking as fine as ever. Seriously, if the kids hadn’t been standing there, I would’ve thrown myself at him and climbed him like a tree. He should not look that good for pushing fifty.”

“I’m fifty.”

“And you are the hottest fifty-year-old dad I know, Bonesy.”

He heard Bones snort on the other end of the call. “Alright, alright. So, Spock is there. What’s going on?”

“There was a mix-up with the cabin rental. Apparently, we both rented it to give our kids a white Christmas. It was either one of us go and have no where else to stay or share.”

“You’re sharing the cabin with Spock and his daughter.”

“Yep. Oh, his daughter’s name is T’Via. Isn’t that cute.”

“Super cute. How do you think you’ll handle this sharing thing? You and Spock have a history. You’ve been in love with him for about a decade.”

“Yeah, I know. Wait…I’m not still in love with him.”

“Oh, I think you are.”

“No, I’m not…I just…oh fuck.” Jim sat down on the edge of the giant jacuzzi tub and put his head in his hands. “Fuck.”

“Yeah, perhaps ya’ll should fuck and get back together,” Bones chuckled.

“Shut up. I bet you planned this.”

“Planned what? I haven’t spoken to Spock in years. Yeah, Jim, I totally planned this whole thing—the spam advertisements, making you take the trip, making Spock take a trip, convincing the rental agent to go along with this…yep that does sound like something I am capable of, Jim.”

Jim shook his head. “No, you wouldn’t do that. Sorry for accusing you.”

“Nah, its fine, Jim. Whatever did happen to cause you and Spock to be there together with your kids, I think its good. You’re still in love with him. You have those r…”

“I know, I know,” Jim interrupted. “He is single, but what if…what if he’s over me? What if he’s not in love with me anymore?”

“Because I remember the way he acted on the Enterprise in regards to you. It looked like, to him, you’d hung the stars just for him. He tried to scan the whole universe when you got kidnapped that one time and we couldn’t find you. He chased down a madman and nearly killed him because you had died. When he wanted to leave Starfleet before Altamid, what kept him on the ship?

You. Even though he was sort of still with Uhura, it wasn’t her that kept him from leaving, it was you. Its always been you for him. So, despite the fact that I haven’t seen him in years, I can say for certain that the green blooded hobgoblin is still in love with you. Take this time to reconnect, to bond with his kid and have JJ bond with Spock, and then get the fuck back together!”

Jim slid down into the tub and sat there with his legs and feet dangling up and over the side. Bones was right. He loved Spock like crazy and he remembered clearly their time together. Spock wasn’t shy about voicing his affection for him—ashayam, ashal-veh, las'hark, t’hy’la. He knew the meaning of all of them except the last one, the one that Spock called him the most, especially in the throes of his blood fever.

Perhaps they could get back together now. Make it work. Bond completely and marry and live happily ever after.

He smiled to himself. “Hey Bones?”

“Yes, Jim?”

“All I want for Christmas is Spock.”

“Damn straight you do. Now go get him.”

* * *

 

Spock watched JJ for a few minutes while he unloaded the car. T’Via wasn’t fond of the cold as she thought she would be so she stood on the porch by the front door and watched JJ as well. She had been curious about Frosty and Spock assured her that Jim would mostly like put on the movie for them to watch. Spock remembered Jim had a fondness for those old Terran films— _Frosty, Rudolf, Jack Frost, Santa Claus is Coming to Town_ , and several others.

JJ picked up a medium sized mound of snow and tried to place it on the other mound but was struggling. Spock put his stuff down and walked over to him, getting his shoes and bottom of his pants.

“Here, let me help,” Spock said, taking the mound from him with his bare hands. A jolt shot through him. _Cold, so fucking cold._ Spock pushed the feeling aside and placed the mound on top of the other. Now the structure was almost as tall as JJ.

“Thank you,” the boy said. “Now I just need to make a head.”

Spock nodded and watched the boy roll around some snow until he had a round ball just a bit smaller than the other pieces. He picked it up and held it over his head, trying to get it on top of his snow man.

“Can you help me again?”

“Certainly,” Spock replied. He took the snow in his bare hands again and placed it on the very top, making the head.

“Thank you!”

“Can I be of assistance?” T’Via asked from the porch.

Spock turned to his daughter. “Not yet. Once we get the proper attire, you may assist him.”

Jim took that moment to step out onto the front porch. “Since we’ll need to go to the grocery store, why don’t we all go together. We can get dinner while we’re out and perhaps pick up a tree.”

“Yeah, we need a big tree!” JJ said, running over to his dad. JJ and I brought some of our decorations from home but we’ll need to get more since we plan to get the biggest tree we can find.”

“Sa-mekh,” T’Via looked at Spock, who made his way out of the snow and onto the cleared walkway in front of the porch steps. “May we participate in decorating the tree?”

“Of course. We are sharing the cabin,” Spock eyed Jim. “I would think we would also share in the festivities together.”

Jim smiled at him. “You thought right.” Jim knelt down between JJ and T’Via. “When we were on the Enterprise together, I could get him to wear ugly Christmas sweaters and partake in all sorts of holiday merriment.”

“Really?” T’Via asked, sounding a bit skeptical.

Spock tried to be as logical of a father as he could be while still allowing his human side to come out from time-to-time to show his daughter that is was okay to do so. While they did have a small, old fake Christmas tree like the one his mother would put out when he was growing up, it already had lights and a few decorations on it. They did not celebrate Christmas as Spock suspected Jim and JJ did. Spock would give T’Via a new book for Christmas and his father would give her something logical, like socks. Hannukah presents were more of the same except the fact that this year his little girl wanted a kitten for some reason.

“Yes, really,” Spock told her. “At the store we will pick out some decoractions of our own for the tree and the house.”

“Oh, and Hannukah stuff, right?” Jim questioned. “It’s coming up soon, isn’t it?”

“Tomorrow night is the first night,” Spock replied. “I have brought the chanukkiyah and candles to light.”

“Good. We’ll have a nice Hanukkah dinner tomorrow night then.”

JJ tugged on his dad’s hand. “What’s Hanukkah?”

“Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights or Feast of Dedication, is a Jewish holiday which celebrates the victory of the Maccabees over the larger Assyrian army. It also celebrates a miracle that happened during this time, where just a day's supply of oil allowed the menorah in the rededicated Temple in Jerusalem to remain lit for eight days which is why Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days.”

“You are just so cute with your all your facts,” Jim said to T’Via.

“Thank you.”

JJ tugged on Jim’s hand again. “I still don’t understand.”

“I have a children’s book,” Spock spoke. “that I read to T’Via each year that explains more about Hanukkah.”

“JJ does love books,” Jim replied. He looked down at his son. “I’m sure if you ask really nicely, Mr. Spock will read it to you tonight.”

JJ smiled brightly at Spock. “Will you read it to me and T’Via tonight?”

“I most certainly will,” Spock told him. Spock looked back to Jim. “I must finish unpacking the car of our luggage and then we can depart. I suggest we take your vehicle if that is acceptable?”

Jim nodded. “Yeah, your little wagon is nice but let’s stick to the big SUV with the snow tires.”

“Affirmative.”

“Do you need any help?”

“No, thank you.” Spock looked at his daughter. “T’Via it is getting too cold for you. Please go inside and wait.”

“Yeah, come inside and get warm. I just started a fire in the fireplace so its nice and toasty over there.”

“Very well,” the girl said. “I shall do that.” She walked back inside.

JJ went to followed but Jim picked him up.

“You, young man, have to get out of these wet clothes first,” Jim told his son.

“Okie dokie!”

Jim gave Spock one last smile before heading back into the cabin with his son. Spock walked back to the car. He took out his comm and hailed Uhura until he realized she was back on her ship and out of range. He tried his father and got connected.

“Spock, have you arrived at the cabin?” Sarek asked.

“Yes, we have and guess who is here?”

“I do not like guessing.”

“Jim is here. With his son, JJ.”

“James Junior?”

“Yes.”

“Logical name.”

“Father.”

“Sa-fu. James is there with his child. Are they visiting? Are they neighbors?”

“No, they also rented this cabin. There was a mix-up and now we are sharing.”

“I see. This does seem like a fortunate situation.”

“Explain.”

“James is your intended. You should never have parted from him. Now, you can make amends and settle down with your mate and gain a new child to the family.”

“Jim is not my mate.”

“Lying is illogical.”

Spock sighed and sat down on the edge of the open trunk of the car. “Jim was my mate, my intended, but that was several years ago. We dissolved our relationship and went our separate ways.”

“You did and because of that you had T’Via and he had James Jr. Is he single?”

“Yes.”

“Then claim him again.”

“Father, I cannot…what if…what if he has moved on? He may not have feelings for me anymore.”

“Illogical, you are catch.”

Spock shook his head. “Jim may not think so after our break-up.”

“Does he seem hostile towards you?”

“No.”

“Did he demand you leave or that he would leave?”

“Well no…he and I…we have agreed to share the cabin for the holidays.”

“Spock, if Jim did not still have feelings for you then he would not have agreed to share.”

“I suppose.”

“Do you still have feelings for him?”

Spock didn’t need to think about it. He hadn’t stopped loving Jim at all in the six years they’ve been separated. He thought about him every day, sometimes several times a day, and meditation nor burying the rudimentary bond that had been established between them deep down seemed to quell his feelings. He was in love with James Kirk. His heart and head ached for his t’hy’la, to have him in his arms again.

Now, though, he also wanted JJ too. JJ was adorable like T’Via. Spock was certain he would make a good father to the human boy as Jim would be a good father to T’Via.

“Spock, are you still there?”

“I am. I was thinking.”

“About?”

“I want Jim back.”


	3. I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came out to about nearly 7300 words (about 19 pages on my word doc) long!  
> Enjoy! :)

After Spock and T’Via were unpacked and settled in, Jim and Spock made a grocery list together while T’Via and JJ sat by the fire and watched _Frosty the Snowman_.

“What should we do for dinner tomorrow?” Jim asked. He and Spock were sitting at the island together with the grocery list between them. “I could make what I used to when we…you know…were together and had shore leave during Hanukkah and Christmas. A braised brisket with carrots, spinach noddle kugel, challah bread, potato latkes, green beans with pecans and date syrup, and winter-vegetable salad, and of course, the sufganiyot. Or is that too much for the four of us?”

Spock shook his head. “I think it will be a perfect amount. Usually my father, T’Via, and I have a vegetarian vegetable kugel with a salad, my mother’s recipe for latkes and challah bread, green beans, and the sufganiyot.”

“Well let’s do your mother’s recipes for the latkes and challah bread, and make your kugel instead of mine.”

“That is acceptable, Jim. What about Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner?”

Jim smiled. “JJ and I usually go to Dennys like in _The Santa Clause_ for Christmas Eve dinner. We watched it when he was three and he became convinced if we went to Dennys then the events of the movie would play out and I’d end up being Santa Claus.”

“How…cute.”

Jim chuckled. “Its okay, Spock, you can say its illogical. I do every year.”

“Illogical as it may be, it is still cute,” Spock insisted.

Jim nudged his shoulder against Spock’s. “I do think we will be skipping Denny’s this year. Christmas Eve we could just do a lasagna and for Christmas dinner, how about a small roast turkey for him and I? We could also have sweet potatoes, a salad, and roast vegetables.”

“That is agreeable.” Spock, looked at Jim. There was just a foot of space between them. Jim still smelled amazingly good to Spock. Jim looked back at him.

Sitting so close together, it was hard for Jim not to lean more against Spock’s side as he used to do. He always craved the Vulcan’s touch.

“Daddy, the movie is done,” JJ appeared and said.

Jim looked away from Spock to his son. “Ready to go?”

“Yep!”

“Yes, we are ready,” T’Via walked over and agreed.

“Ready to go, Spock?” Jim then asked.

“Yes.”

* * *

 

The car ride into town was quiet except for the Christmas music Jim played over the radio. Every so often he and Spock would sneak glances to one another but did not say anything.

Once they made it onto the main road of the town, the quiet was interrupted.

“Daddy, daddy, look!” JJ said excitedly. “It’s the holiday village! Can we go?”

“Not tonight, buddy.”

“But why?”

“Yes, why can we not go?” T’Via piped in.

Jim glanced to Spock again. “Our tickets for it don’t start until tomorrow.”

“As do ours.” Spock turned in his seat and looked at the children in the back. “We will attend the holiday village tomorrow when our tickets or it and its attractions start.”

“But…” JJ tried but stopped at the look Spock gave him. JJ pouted and spoke to T’Via. “Grown-ups are no fun.”

“Indeed not,” she agreed.

Jim chuckled as Spock turned back around in his seat. “Kids, huh?”

“Affirmative,” Spock replied.

Jim took them to the snow gear store first and showed Spock the items that he had for JJ to keep him warm and dry while playing in the snow.

“That seems like an excessive amount to wear,” T’Via told him when her father picked out for her purple snow overalls and a matching coat with gloves and a warm hat.

“Snow is cold and wet,” Spock said. “If you do not wear layers then you will be susceptible to an illness.”

“Daddy! Look at this sled!”

Jim and company turned and saw JJ had climbed up a display to the top where a blue and black sleek looking sled was. Jim jumped in surprise and immediately went to his son. “James, get down!”

While Jim dealt with his son, Spock continued to look for clothes for himself with T’Via.

“I was just looking,” they heard the boy say.

“You look with your eyes! You don’t climb on anything in stores.”

“Are all humans like the Kirks?” T’Via asked as Spock knelt before her and had her try on a pair of black snowboots. “Aunt Nyota is much calmer.”

“No one is like the Kirks,” Spock replied. Jim was special, unique and no doubt JJ was exactly the same.

“They are illogical.”

“Yes,” Spock agreed, looking his daughter in her eyes. “But a good illogical.”

She arched a brow in return.

“Oh daddy, look at that! Its shiny!” JJ was heard before he ran past them to the other side of the store. Jim quickly followed after.

“James Tiberius, stop running in the store!”

Spock watched the interaction fondly. Jim ran up to his son who was about to grab a shiny hockey stick and scooped him up in his arms. The boy giggled until Jim sat him down and appeared to have stern words with him. JJ pouted at his daddy but nodded and took hold of his hand.

“You are smiling, sa-mekh.”

Spock looked back at his daughter and schooled his expression. “Smiling is logical at times.”

“At times when you are looking at your former captain?”

“Yes.”

“Grandfather said you and him used to be romantic partners. Is he my other parent?”

Spock nearly fell back at that. He shook his head and finished making sure the boots fit T’Via, which they did with some thick socks.

“Father?”

“You know the events surrounding your conception and birth. Jim was not involved.”

“I see.”

“You see what?” Jim asked. He and JJ were standing nearby. JJ was still pouting and holding his daddy’s hand.

Spock stood up. “These boots fit T’Via.”

Jim smiled and nodded. “Cool. She’ll also need some thermal underwear as will you. I think they are over there.”

T’Via took the snow boots off and put her own shoes on. “Could you show me?”

Jim released JJ’s hand and led T’Via over to the area leaving Spock to put the boots back in the box and in the cart with his and T’Via’s items. Spock grabbed a pair of boots from nearby that he figured would fit and put them in the cart for himself. He looked down at JJ and JJ looked back up at him.

“You seemed to have gotten yourself in a bit of trouble,” Spock said.

JJ nodded. “Yeah, its cuz my Nana says I’m my daddy’s son and its payback or something. I don’t understand it.”

Spock did. He had met Winona Kirk on a few occasions. She had tried her best to give Jim and his brother a good life after George’s death, but admitted to have dropped the ball on more than one occasion. Jim had been a handful and now it appears the payback is that JJ is also a handful.

“It just means you are very much like your father and there is nothing wrong with that.”

JJ gave him a big smile. “Thank you. I’m sorry for fussing at you for killing Frosty.”

“Apology accepted.”

JJ looked behind him. His eyes lit up. “Oh, look at that! A snowmobile!” JJ took off around Spock, but Spock reacted quickly—only having to take two big steps to grab up the five-year-old.

“What did your father tell you?” Spock asked the boy in his arms.

“Um…no running in the store.”

“And?”

JJ looked a bit guilty. He looked away from Spock. “Um…daddy told me to keep my hands to myself and not touch anything or else I can wait with him in the car.”

“Do you want to wait in the car?”

JJ shook his head.

“Then you need to listen and behave.”

“I’ll try but sometimes it’s really, really hard.”

“I understand. How about…do you want to sit on my shoulders to keep out of trouble?”

JJ looked at him with big eyes. He nodded excitedly. “Okie dokie!”

Spock set the boy on the ground before leaning down. JJ ran behind him and jumped onto his back, climbing on and up to sit on his shoulders. Spock stood up and JJ giggled.

“You’re tall, Spock.”

“Indeed.”

Spock made sure the boy was secure then pushed the cart towards Jim and T’Via’s location.

* * *

 

“These are pink,” Jim held the pack of thermal underwear to T’Via who looked at it like it was the horrendous thing she’d ever seen. Jim chuckled and put it back. “No pink.”

“No,” she said.

“I don’t like pink either. Jim looked at the other options. “This is cool.” He grabbed a package that was Wonder Woman themed. “What about this?”

“No thank you.”

Jim frowned. “Alright.” _Girl, we are watching Wonder Woman while you are here. She's awesome._ He put it back and grabbed a package of plain gray thermal underwear. “How about this?”

“That is acceptable. I would also like those as well,” T’Via said, pointing behind him.

Jim turned and smiled. “Good choice.”

“I like stars,” T’Via said as Jim handed her the package. The thermal underwear was navy blue with various sized stars in different colors.

“As do I. Do you plan to follow you in your father’s footsteps and go into Starfleet?”

T’Via looked up at him. She definitely had Spock’s eyes and nose and cute Vulcan ears. Jim did wonder where the curls came from though. The pictures he’d seen of Amanda showed she had a little bit of a wave to her hair but not curly and the few times he’d met Sarek, the Vulcan’s hair had been straight.

 _Perhaps her mother?_ Jim thought. _Wonder who she is and why Spock’s not bonded to her._

“I may,” T’Via replied. “Father does speak fondly of his time in Starfleet and on the Enterprise under your captaincy.”

“He does?”

“Yes, but I may go to the VSA first and then attend Starfleet. My grandfather said he would like at least one relative to attend and graduate from the VSA since my father rejected attending.”

“T’Via,” Spock appeared and said. “I will be having words with Grandfather when we return.”

“If you say so.”

Jim chuckled at the little girl before realizing JJ wasn’t around. His eyes widened and he was about to freak out when Spock said, “JJ, please do not pull on my ears.”

Jim looked up and sighed in relief. It was heartwarming seeing his son seeing his son on Spock’s shoulder’s.  _They are adorable together._

“JJ, what are you doing up there?” Jim asked while T’Via showed Spock her the thermal wears she’d picked out.

“Spock said I could stay up here to keep out of trouble,” JJ told his father.

“Did he?”

“Uh-huh!”

“And are you staying out of trouble?”

“I am.”

“He is behaving,” Spock said.

Jim looked to Spock and grinned. “Then why is he wearing a hockey helmet?”

Spock blinked then looked up as JJ bent over Spock’s head and giggle. The boy was indeed wearing a hockey helmet.

“Where did you get that?”

“On that shelf we just passed. Daddy, can I get it?”

Jim shook his head. “No, now take it off and hand it over.”

“Dag nabit.” JJ took it off and handed it to Jim who put it on a nearby shelf.

“Spock, you need some thermal underwear as well. Adults are this way.” Jim waved his hand and they followed him down the aisle to the adult section. Jim grabbed a pair of black ones and white ones. “You’re still a large, right, Spock?”

“Yes, I am.”

Jim tossed the underwear into the cart before realizing what he’d done. _Dammit, Jim! Ask what he wants first!_ Jim went to take them back out and tell Spock to pick what he wants but Spock backed the cart away and headed for the checkout line.

 _Or not._ Jim followed along. The checkout lady smiled at them as she rang up all the items.

When Spock paid for his items, the lady finally spoke. “You four make a cute family.”

“Thank you,” Spock replied.

Jim felt his cheeks warm up at the insinuation. They weren’t a family…yet.

“Daddy, I’m hungry now,” JJ said as they made their way out of the store.

“How about…”

“Cracker barrel!” JJ interrupted with a shout. “There’s one over there! Please, can we go? Please!”

“Its up to Spock and T’Via.”

“Spock, T’Via please? They have like the bestest food!”

“I doubt they do, but I am amenable to eating at the establishment,” T’Via replied.

“As am I,” Spock agreed.

“Then onward to Cracker Barrel,” Jim said.

* * *

 

T’Via’s eyes widened as they stepped into the old country restaurant. She took in all the holiday decorations and items for sale. Okay, so maybe JJ was right, this place was the bestest. JJ grabbed her wrist and pulled her in a particular direction.

“They have toys this way!” JJ told her.

“Kids,” Spock tried but Jim patted him on the shoulder. “Just go with them and I’ll get our name on the list. It’s a bit crowded in here.”

Spock nodded in acknowledgement and followed the children towards the toys. Jim couldn’t help but let his eyes trail down Spock’s jacket covered back to wear it stopped just above his ass and then of course, he had to oogle at that ass. 

“Nope, not the time,” Jim told himself before heading over to the hostess booth. He told her a table for four and the name Kirk.

“About fifteen to twenty minutes,” he replied.

“We’ll be waiting,” Jim smiled in return. He turned back and headed to where the toys were always located in these restaurants.

He saw Spock standing with the children, shaking his head as they kept picking up a toy and showing him. Jim walked over.

“But, Sa-mekh it is a hippopotamus stuffed toy. I require it,” T’Via said, holding up the large stuffed animal.

Jim chuckled. “T’Via, that thing is almost as big as you.”

“Yes, it is and that is why I require it.”

“No,” Spock told his daughter.

“But it is a hippopotamus!”

“T’Via.”

Jim had to put his hand over his mouth to keep them from seeing his grin. The girl was definitely Spock’s daughter. She was looking up at Spock with narrowed eyes and the cutest, grumpiest look on her face.

“T’Via, we are not here to buy toys,” Spock told his daughter. “We are here to eat. Put it back and maybe, just maybe, such a toy may find itself under the tree at Christmas. But if you continued to act this way, it will not.”

T’Via looked at the animal and then her father before nodding and putting it back. JJ almost took a step forward, holding a giant stuffed lion, but one look from Spock as well had the boy putting it back.

_Only known JJ a few hours and already better at wrangling him then Bones._

“Hey, T’Via, do you know how to play checkers?” JJ asked.

“I do.”

“Come over here,” JJ lead her a few feet away to a barrel with a checker board cloth overtop and large red and black checker pieces. “We can play while we wait to sit down. That’s what my daddy and I always do.”

“Alright, that is acceptable.” T’Via stood on one side of the barrel while JJ stood on the other.

“You can be red and go first.”

“Thank you.”

Jim patted Spock on the arm and motioned for them to move. They walked a little ways away and stood up against the wall and out of the way. They still kept the kids in a clear sight.

“Did you clone yourself?” Spock asked after a few moments of silence.

“Pardon?” Jim replied.

Spock nodded towards JJ. “Is that how you had JJ?”

Jim laughed and nearly doubled over. Spock gave him a small smirk in return. When Jim composed himself, he explained.

“No, god no. I would not do that to myself. No, I…I um…hooked up with his biological mom on Yorktown a few months after you and I…you know.”

“Discontinued our relationship,” Spock said.

“Yes, that. We hooked up once.” _Because she looked like you—tall, with short dark hair and dark eyes, human though._ “Just a one-night stand, but several weeks later she contacted me and said she was pregnant. We did the DNA scan another week later and it proved to be mine. She said she’s not a fan of babies or kids. We were about to agree to…um…terminate when I…I felt…I really wanted to have the kid. She wasn’t interested in being a mother but agreed to have him. When he was born he, surprisingly, had a full head of black hair.”

“Oh really?”

Jim looked at Spock and nodded. “Yep, she did—Daphne did. A month later it was gone and then another month later it started coming back in but blonde.”

“What of his biological mother Daphne?”

“Still wasn’t into being a mom or anything. She signed away her rights and its just been me and him ever since. She’s not in Starfleet, but is a scientist for the Federation.”

“Does he know about her?”

Jim nodded. “Oh yeah. I’ve always been honest with him about it. We even ran into her about a year ago. She still wasn’t interested in being a mom. Said he was cute and that she thought I was doing a good job raising him. JJ had no interest in her either.”

“Fascinating.”

“Yep. So, what about T’Via? Where’s her mom?”

“She does not have one in the normal since.”

“Oh?”

“Before my father became ill, he was in the process of having another child. He found donor eggs and a surrogate. When he had his heart attack, he realized that he was not up for raising another child at his age. He offered the services to me instead. The eggs hadn’t been fertilized nor implanted. The surrogate was still on board so I went through with it. Nine months later T’Via was born. The donor gave her eggs for the good of repopulating the species and did not wish to know if her eggs produced a child. The surrogate—I have not seen her since T’Via’s birth.”

“Wow. So, from the start, both of us have been single dads.”

“Affirmative.”

“Did she get her curls from her biological mom then?”

Spock shook his head. “Negative. I believe it was passed down from my father.”

Jim arched a brow. “Your dad has straight hair.”

“No, it curls. He has been straightening it for some time. Mother was always fond of his curls though. She was tickled when I appeared to have them when I was younger.”

Jim grinned. “How did I not know you had curly hair when you were a baby?”

Spock shrugged.

“Speaking of your dad. How is he by the way? T’Via mentioned him so I guess he’s doing alright?”

“He is well. We live together which I believe he is not fond of sometimes.”

“Well you are a handful to live with,” Jim said, nudging against Spock’s side.

Spock nudged back. “You are as well, Jim.”

“You’re the blanket hog.”

“You hogged the bathroom and kept all your hair and skin care products on every spare surface of the counter.”

“You snore.”

“You talk in your sleep.”

“You’re a cuddle bug.”

“Only with you.”

Jim stopped the banter and had to look away. He did recall Uhura mentioning way back when, that Spock seemed to do more with Jim then he had during his relationship with her. Such as cuddling. Jim missed the cuddling.

Jim cleared his throat. “So, you’re pushing fifty and still living with your dad.”

“I worry about him,” Spock replied. “Since his first major illness at the end of our mission, he’s had two more heart attacks. The last, luckily, was three years ago. Each made him weak and neither of us wanted him in a care facility. T’Via adores her sa-mekh-al and having an extra pair of hands around with her is nice since his strength is back.”

“I’m glad he’s well. I was worried about him back then. He was the only family you had left and I…I didn’t want you to lose him yet.”

“Thank you.” Spock looked at Jim with a very soft smile.

Jim smiled back.

“And how is your mother? JJ mentioned his Nana earlier.”

“Mom’s good. She hates being retired, but she’s keeping busy around the farm. She’s fixed it up real nice. Got some horses, a donkey, some goats, and a few chickens. She’s going to start putting crops in in the spring. Not a lot but enough to take to the local farmer’s market. That’s what dad always wanted. He said when they both retired from Starfleet he wanted a proper farm—that’s why they bought that house.”

“I remember you telling me that. Your father grew up on a farm—helped herd the cattle and sheep, tend to the crops.”

Jim nodded. “Mom said it crushed him when his parents up and sold the farm after a bad season. He thought he’d take it over one day.” Jim then snorted. “Mom named the donkey Georgie. She said dad would appreciate it because he could be a bit of an ass at times.”

“Do you plan to take over the farm then?”

Jim shrugged. “Dunno. Maybe when’s she’s gone and I’m ready to retire. She’s almost seventy but doesn’t look it or act like it. When we were there for Thanksgiving she was up at the crack of dawn when the rooster crowed and getting to work with tending to the animals. I hate getting up that early but I did to help her out.”

“I do recall your reluctance for early morning shifts.  I would have to bride you with coffee, pastries, and a blowjob in order to coax you from bed” Spock said without thinking.

“I do miss those,” Jim replied without thinking as well.

Both went silent. Jim fidgeted from one foot then to the other. “I mean…well…”

“Kirk, party of four. Kirk, party of four,” their name was called over the loudspeaker.

 _Thank goodness,_ they both thought.

“Kids, dinner time,” Spock said quickly.

“Yep, let’s go,” Jim agreed.

“Aw, but we’re not done with the game,” JJ said.

“Do you want to eat or play checkers?”

JJ actually thought about which caused Jim to shake his head. “Oh, I guess dinner then. I am starving.”

“As am I,” T’Via agreed.

They went to the hostess booth and were led back into the restaurant. They were seated near a window at a four top.

“I want to sit next to Spock,” JJ announced, sitting down in the seat by the window.

“That is acceptable,” T’Via replied. “I shall sit next to Jim.” She sat across from JJ by the window as well.

Jim and Spock exchanged a look before sitting down next to the child that requested their presence. T’Via picked up one menu and arched a brow.

“They seemed to have made a mistake,” she said. She looked up at Jim and Spock. “They gave us the breakfast menu. It is dinner time.”

“You can have breakfast and dinner here,” JJ said.

T’Via cocked her head to the side.

“T’Via, they serve breakfast foods all day,” Jim told her.

Her brown eyes widened. “You can eat breakfast foods for dinner?”

Jim and JJ nodded.

She looked at her father in wonderment. “May I have pancakes for dinner?”

“I would prefer you not, but if that is what you wish, then you may.”

T’Via smiled and looked down at the menu. “It is what I wish.”

“Daddy, can I…”

“No,” Jim said without letting his son finish.

“Daddy,” JJ giggled. “You don’t know what I was going to say.”

“Oh I’m sorry. What were you going to say?”

“Can I get…”

“No.”

“Daddy!”

Jim chuckled. “Yes, JJ?”

JJ pointed to the specials menu. “Can I get this?”

Jim looked at it and nodded. “Cinnamon streusel French toast? Yeah, sure, but the kid’s size, alright?”

“Yay!”

“Jim, are you going to order breakfast for dinner?” T’Via asked him.

“Nah, I’ll get dinner dinner. Country fried steak.” Jim smiled at her before looking back at her father. “What about you? Breakfast or dinner?”

Spock flipped through both menus. “I am not sure. Their vegetarian entrees are minimal.”

“Yeah, sorry about that. They do have salads.”

“Hmm. I’ll just get the country vegetable plate with the brussels sprouts and kale salad, carrots, green beans, and fried apples.”

“Good choice,” Jim said.

Their waiter appeared and took their orders, leaving a plate of biscuits and cornbread for the table. JJ grabbed the triangle peg game and put in between himself and T’Via.

“Daddy and I play this every time we come to cracker barrel. Wanna play?”

T’Via looked at the game. “How do you play?”

While JJ started explaining the game, Spock asked Jim, “How is Leonard? It has been some time since I’ve heard from him?”

“He’s good. He’s heading up the emergency department at Starfleet Medical. They wanted him to teach a few classes and he tried but,” Jim made a face then chuckled. “He’s not the teaching sort.”

“That sounds like Leonard,” Spock said in an amused tone.

“Although he is in the process of writing a medical textbook called Comparative Alien Physiology.”

“Fascinating.”

“Oh, no, what’s fascinating is that he is married to Carol.”

“Carol Marcus?” Spock questioned, cocking his head to the side a bit.

Jim nodded. “Mmhmm. Been together about four years and have three-year-old twins. Shotgun wedding.”

Spock blinked. “Twins?”

Jim nodded. “Sarah and Amelia. They’re cuties.”

“Annoying cuties,” JJ said.

Jim and Spock glanced to the kids and saw they were taking turns playing the peg game. Jim looked around before spotting an empty table. He stood and went to it, grabbing the game from the table and bringing it back to the kids.

“Here, now you both can play. You could even race to see who finishes first.”

“Oh yeah! Daddy and I do that sometimes.” JJ reset both triangles so they looked the same. “Wanna race?”

“Certainly,” T’Via said.

“How is Joanna?”

Jim smiled. “JoJo is good. She’s in the command track at Starfleet Academy. Will be finishing next semester. I’m not her advisor though. Something about favoritism.”

“I doubt you would favor her over other cadets.”

Jim shrugged. “I don’t think I would either, but the brass said no. Its fine, though. She’s thriving. I definitely could see her as a captain one day. She’s got the drive and the stubbornness like her dad. How is Uhura? Haven’t heard from her in a while. I talked to Scotty about a year ago. Seems he’s enjoying the freedom his new ship is giving him.”

“Nyota is well. She misses Mr. Scott but they seem to make their long-distance relationship work.”

“Something we never seemed able to do.”

“Affirmative.”

They looked away from one another. Both wanted to get back together but neither knew how to make the first move or if the other would be receptive.

Jim licked his licks and gently nudged his foot against Spock’s. Spock nudged it back and soon their feet were hooked with each other’s under the table through the rest of dinner.

* * *

 

“We need that!”

“And that!”

“Oh and that too!”

“And that is shiny so we will require that!”

Jim and Spock stood with their respective carts in the big box store an hour later watching their children run around the holiday section, grabbing this ornament and that decoration. Neither wanted to tell them no so they just let them shove stuff into the carts.

“Well we do plan to get a big tree,” Jim said.

“Indeed.”

T’Via ran up and showed her father a box of antique looking ball ornaments. “Sa-mekh.”

“Put it in the cart,” Spock told her.

T’Via did then ran off to find something else. “Sa-mekh, what are these large socks?”

“They’re stockings!” JJ called out. “You’ll need one for Santa to put goodies in.”

T’Via grabbed two red and white ones and took them to Spock. “Who is Santa and why does he leave goodies in large socks?”

Spock looked to Jim with a raised brow.

“What? Its not my fault you haven’t explained who Santa is to your daughter. I bet she doesn’t know about the tooth fairy either.”

T’Via’s eyes widened. “Tooth fairy?”

JJ ran up and put some candy canes in the cart. “You don’t know who the tooth fairy is?”

T’Via shook her head.

JJ gaped at her. “Then who puts money under your pillow when you lose a tooth?”

T’Via stared at the human boy. “You get currency when you lose a tooth?”

“That’s what my daddy says. I haven’t lost a tooth yet, but when I do I’ll get a visit from the tooth fairy.”

She looked up to her father accusingly. “Why did I not know this? My lower center incisor has started to loosen. What would have happened when it fell out?”

Spock looked at Jim again. Jim merely smiled in return and shrugged. Spock shook his head.

“I believe we have enough ornaments and other decorations. It is time to shop for groceries,” Spock told the children.

“Can we go by the toy aisle?” JJ asked.

“No,” Jim told him. He made a place in his cart and picked JJ up and placed him in it to keep from running off. “Spock, put all the décor in my cart and we’ll put all the groceries in yours.”

Spock nodded and did that.

“I want to be in the cart as well,” T’Via announced.

Jim made another place in his packed cart and picked the part Vulcan girl up and placed her in across from JJ.

“Hands and feet inside the ride at all times,” Jim told them.

“Daddy, this isn’t a ride,” JJ said.

“Indeed not,” T’Via agreed. “This is a shopping cart.”

“Oh really?” Jim then started pushing the cart very quickly down an aisle.

“Jim, do not run it he store,” Spock called after, walking quickly after them.

Jim came to a stop and pouted at Spock—giving the Vulcan his trademark puppy dog look. Spock’s heart beat faster. That look had made him do many, many things in the past and now, well Spock just wanted to kiss it away.

“I wasn’t running,” Jim said. “You are still no fun, Spock.”

“I am fun.”

“Only a little,” T’Via interjected.

Spock reached into the cart and tickled his daughter causing her to giggle and squirm away. Jim patted Spock on the back and soon they were walking towards the grocery part of the store. The kids started talking more about the tooth fairy, Santa, and even the Easter Bunny which had T’Via replying how illogical it all sounded.

Jim and Spock exchanged looks over their adorable children.

“And also there is some guy named Jack Frost who nips at your nose when its cold outside,” JJ continued.

T’Via touched the tip of her nose. She did not want anyone to nip it. These Terran stories were highly illogical, but she was intrigued by Santa Claus.

“Alright,” Jim said as they reached the grocery part. “Lets start from the back of the store and work our way to the front and checking out?”

Spock nodded in agreement. They went up and down each ailse, grabbing items on their list and few that weren’t. While Jim liked the coffee selection at the cabin, he wanted a festive brew to have on hand as well so they went down the coffee and tea aisle.

“Daddy, look, they have the hot chocolate mixes,” JJ pointed and said.

“We’ll get a box.”

JJ looked at T’Via. “Do you like hot chocolate.”

“Buddy, Vulcans can’t have chocolate," Jim told him.

“Why?”

“I do not know,” T’Via said. She looked at her father. “Why?”

 _Because it makes us drunk and act like idiots,_ Spock thought.

 _Spock is a cute drunk,_ Jim also thought.

“We are allergic,” Spock told her. “But,” Spock reached out and grabbed a box next to the chocolate one. “We can tolerate white hot chocolate as it does not have cocoa powder in its ingrediants.”

“That’s right,” Jim spoke. “I remember you were able to have some at that diplomatic ball on Andorra. Didn’t do anything to you.”

“Exactly.” Spock put the white chocolate hot chocolate mix in the cart.

“Lets get some apple cider ingredients too,” Jim said. “We can make that tomorrow.”

Spock nodded and they left the aisle. Jim found what he needed so they continued on. As they were perusing the fruits and vegetables. JJ climbed out of the cart and ran over to the baked goods.

“James Tiberius,” Spock and Jim said at the same time. They stopped and looked at one another.

“I heard you say that to him earlier,” Spock said. “My apologies.”

“No, no, its fine. Two are better than one at wrangling kids.”

JJ came back with a clear plastic container. Before Jim could fuss at him for running off, JJ held the container up.

“Look, Daddy, blue cookies!”

Jim looked at the sugar cookies and smiled. “You found Hanukkah cookies.”

“I did?” JJ looked confused. All he saw was that they were blue and he liked blue.

Jim knelt down and pointed at the designs of the cookies. “Yeah, see...some are shaped like the Star of David and others look like dreidels.”

“Cool! Can we get them?”

Jim nodded and placed them in Spock’s cart.

“I grabbed some chocolate coins from the kosher aisle while you were looking at briskets,” Spock said to Jim after he had put the boy back in the cart. “So that they may play dreidels later.”

“Good idea.” Jim looked over their list then through the cart one last time. “I think we have everything. Kids, ready to go.”

“Yes!” JJ replied.

“Affirmative,” T’Via replied. “You must pay for the items first, though.”

Jim chuckled. “Right, of course.”

* * *

 

After splitting the bill for the groceries and decorations, they loaded the SUV up then drove across the street to a Christmas tree lot. They let the kids pick the biggest one they could find—a sturdy, full tree that was nearly nine feet tall.

It took some assistance, but Spock and Jim were able to get it loaded on top of the car just as it started to snow again.

They let the kids stand by the car for a moment, catching snowflakes on their tongues.

“I recall when you made me do such a thing,” Spock said. It had been their first Christmas as a couple. Jim had managed to get shore leave to coincide with Christmas that year. There had been no secluded cabins for rent on the planet, but Jim found them a rental home on a quiet street where they played house for a week and hosted a Christmas party for their friends. It had snowed Christmas Eve and they’d stayed outside for a few hours throwing snowballs and making snowmen that night.

Jim’s heart melted at remembering that Christmas. He nodded at Spock. “You kept complaining how cold and illogical it was.”

“Yet I stayed outside with you.”

“You always went along with my illogical shenanigans.”

Before Spock could reply, T'Via walked up and tapped him on the arm. “Father, I am cold. I require the heat in the car please.”

Spock looked away from Jim. He picked up his daughter and put her in the car in her booster seat.

“C’mon, JJ, time to go,” Jim called to his son.

“Dag nabit.”

* * *

 

Once back home at the cabin, Jim and Spock unloaded the car while the kids went upstairs and put on their pajamas.

JJ came downstairs first in his sports themed footie pajamas and T’Via followed a few minutes later wearing a light blue nightgown with pastel flowers printed on it.

“What are you wearing?” she asked the boy.

“What are _you_ wearing?” he asked back.

“You are both wearing pajamas,” Spock said. “Now have a seat on the couch. Jim has a movie for you two to watch before bed.”

“I’m not sleepy.”

“JJ, watch the movie,” Jim told his son. He grabbed the remote he had and pressed play.   _The Muppet Christmas Carol_ started and Jim and Spock went into the kitchen and started putting everything away.

“How is Starfleet?” Spock asked while they worked.

“The same. I’m a Vice Admiral. I mainly teach a few classes at the academy then do some desk work for the admiralty.”

“Do you go on missions still?”

Jim sighed and shook his head. “Nah, I want to but its hard with JJ. If I do go then Bones comes along as well and I can’t burden Carol with watching JJ and her girls. My mom is open to it but just sending him away to her…I can’t. I’d rather bring him along but some missions that come up are too dangerous for kids to be on board.”

“When I left,” _Wh_ _en we broke up._ “I heard that Starfleet was trying to be more family friendly. Sulu was happy to finally have Ben and Demora with him on a ship.”

Jim nodded. “They definitely have moved in that direction, but only with a few ships and those ships have captains already. JJ does love going up into the stars. I have taken him on a few trips but only to the Yorktown or another base or a planet.”

“I would be surprised if a child of yours did not love the stars.”

Jim chuckled. “I would be too. What about you? What have you been up to? When I last spoke to Uhura like three years ago, she said you were teaching again.”

“I am. The VSA offered me a position. I teach three courses and also oversee the application process and testing of academy candidates.”

“Just teaching then? No science stuff?”

“No, I do also make time for research and publishing my findings.”

_I know. I read all your publications in the science journals. I miss being able to read them first though._

“Oh yeah? I’ll have to check them out then.” Jim looked out of the kitchen window and saw the snow starting to pick up. “Damn. Hey, we should get the tree inside before that gets too bad.”

Spock looked out and nodded in agreement. They bundled up in their coats with hats and gloves then headed outside. They made quick work of unlatching the tree from the roof and getting the tree down. Spock took most of the load off of Jim with carrying it into the house while Jim ran inside and got the tree stand and everything ready—including some plastic covering underneath the tree stand.

Spock held the tree steady as Jim cut off the end. They eased it into the tree stand and made sure it was straight before tightening it into the stand. Jim put water in the stand then they covered it with a white tree skirt.

Jim brought out another tree skirt and placed it around. It was a velvet red with a white cuff that stood out wonderfully against the wooden floor and the tree. He stood up and stepped back to take in the view of the tree.

“Once it is decorated, I do believe it will be perfect,” Spock said, standing next to him. He didn’t hesitate to put an arm around the blonde’s waist.

Jim leaned against him and smiled. “Yeah.”

“Can we decorate it now?” JJ asked.

Jim reluctantly moved from Spock and over to his son. “No. We’ll decorate it tomorrow after dinner and lighting the menorah.” Jim turned to Spock. “Or should we wait and do it the next night?”

“No, tomorrow will be fine.”

“Good, because I want to put everything on the tree,” JJ said with a smile.

“As do I,” T’Via added.

“Both of you need to watch the movie and then go to bed.”

“I’m not sleepy.”

“Neither am I.”

“Well get sleepy,” Jim told them.

* * *

 

They did get sleepy by the end of the movie. Jim carried his son while Spock carried his daughter upstairs and put them into their respective beds. JJ rubbed his eyes and yawned.

“Spock said he’d read to us.”

“The Hanukkah book, Sa-mekh.”

Spock nodded. “I did say that. I will retrieve the book.”

Jim sat on the edge of his son’s bed and hummed a little Christmas tune while they waited. JJ and T’Via yawned together and snuggled under their covers. Spock returned a moment later and sat down on the edge of his daughter’s bed.

“ _The Night Before Hanukkah_ ,” he read the title before opening the book and beginning to read.

* * *

 

“That was a good book,” Jim said quietly as they left the kids room a little while later. The children barely made it through the book before they were out.

Spock placed the book on a table in the hallway and followed Jim downstairs. “My mother read it to before Hanukkah every year when I was a child. Her mother had read it to her as did her mother and so on.”

“A family tradition then?”

“Yes.”

Jim turned off the TV and then poked the dying fire in the fireplace.

“I remember the last time we were in a cabin together with a fireplace like this one.”

Jim felt his face warm up but not because of the fire. Eight years previous, what had supposed to be a fun Valentine getaway had turned into a blizzard and them trapped for a week in a small cabin in the woods in the middle of winter. They did have food and enough firewood to keep them warm and blankets…like the one they had put on the floor in front of the fire and made love on almost every night that week.

Jim stood up and tugged at the color of his shirt. “Yeah, that was…a nice vacation.”

“Indeed.”

Jim could feel Spock looking at him but he couldn’t bring himself to face Spock directly. “So I’m going to um…head to bed now. Tomorrow we should take the kids to the winter festival. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Jim.”

Jim quickly left the room and made his way to the master suite. He shut the door behind him and walked over to his suitcase. He started to unpack to stop thinking about Spock. He put clothes away in the dresser and came back to the suitcase and found something that should not have been there. He picked up the box—the box that was supposed to be hidden in his sock drawer back home.

“How did you get here?” Jim wondered out loud. He opened it up and smiled. The pictures and his trinkets were still there. Perhaps he would be needing the box after all.

* * *

 

Spock didn’t know what had possessed him to make the comment about the cabin. Yes, it had been a glorious, passion filled week but he didn’t know if Jim still had feelings for him. Spock went up to his bedroom and shut himself inside. He sat on the bed and put his head in his hands.

Why couldn’t he just tell Jim he still loved him? No, he had to mention the cabin and then earlier he’d brought up blowjobs.

How did he get Jim in the first place?

 _Chess!_ He suddenly remembered. He sat up. When they first confessed to like one another, they had been playing chess.

Spock nodded to himself. Tomorrow they would find time to play chess.

* * *

 

 

Forgot to put this in the last chapter, but here is my visual for their cabin :)


	4. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Jim woke up a little later than expected the next morning. He quickly got out of bed only to end up shivering a bit. The room was just a tad colder than he liked. He went through the drawers and found a sweater he frequently wore when it was a bit chilly in their townhouse. He pulled it on and left the room.

“Morning!”

Jim jumped at the greeting when he entered the open area outside the bedroom. JJ was seated at the kitchen island with T’Via eating a bowl of cereal. Spock approached from the other side and handed Jim a mug. The Vulcans eyes trailed down his torso for a moment. An odd look appearing across the Vulcans features.

“What?” Jim asked. The aroma coming from the mug hit him and he took in a deep breath. “Hazelnut coffee.”

“Yes. You did buy it last night.” Spock’s eyes darted over him again.

Jim nodded and took a small sip of the hot coffee. “It’s good. Thank you. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason,” Spock said before turning away and walking back to the counter.

Jim took another sip then fully looked at the room’s occupants. The kids were still in their pajamas. JJ’s hair was a bit of a mess but T’Via’s took the prize. Her curls were all over the place. Jim walked over and stood before her on the other side of the island.

“You have some curls, little lady,” he said.

She arched a slanted brow at him. “Indeed, I have curly hair. Once I have showered and my father has applied the appropriate hair care products it will look better.”

“Why doesn’t my hair curl?” JJ asked.

“Because you have my hair,” Jim replied.

Spock sidled up beside Jim, their shoulders and arms touching. Jim glanced at the Vulcan and saw he was already dressed for the day wearing jeans and a thick sweater.

_Damn he looks good,_ Jim thought as Spock’s eyed him back. Jim looked away and back to the kids. Focusing on the kids was the best thing to do.

“Guess what we are doing today?” Jim asked them.

“The holiday village!” JJ exclaimed.

T’Via’s eyes sparkled. “Oh yes, the holiday village!”

Jim smiled at the kids and nodded. “Yep. We have tickets for today and tomorrow. Today we’ll go skiing, ice-skating, see the ice sculpting competition, and…”

“Santa!” JJ interrupted.

Jim chuckled. “We’ll see Santa and Santa’s workshop tomorrow evening.”

“Dag nabit.”

“May I see Santa as well?” T’Via asked.

Spock nodded. “Of course.”

JJ hopped off his stool. “We should go now. I’ll go get dressed.”

Jim shook his head and sat his mug down. “Hold it right there, young man.”

JJ paused on his trek across the room to the staircase. He turned back towards his daddy. “What?”

“You need a bath first. You smell.”

“I don’t smell, you smell!”

“I also require time in the sonic shower,” T’Via added.

“T’Via will take the bathroom upstairs and you’ll share with me, JJ.”

“I’m old enough to bath myself.”

“I know, but we’re going to share to get it done quicker.”

“But…”

“Take your booty upstairs and get the clothes you’ll wear today.”

JJ rolled his eyes then went upstairs. T’Via hopped off her stool. “I shall get my clothes ready as well.” She then left and went upstairs after JJ.

Jim picked up his mug and took a sip of the delicious coffee. He caught Spock looking at him again out of the corner of his eye. He placed his mug back down and turned towards the Vulcan. “Seriously, why are you looking at me like that?”

“Why are _you_ looking at me?”

“You started it.”

The corner of Spock’s lips quirked up slightly. “You are wearing my sweater.”

Jim blinked then looked down at the sweater and it dawned on him. It was Spock’s. It was Spock’s gray and black knit sweater that his mother had made him and Jim had taken it during their breakup of possessions several years prior. He remembered it had been a conscious decision to take it at the time because it was Spock’s and it smelled like him.

_I guess I forgot about it over the years,_ Jim thought.

“Shit. I stole it, but forgot that I did. Do you want it back?” _I also think I have some other of your shirts back at my place._

Spock shook his head. “I do not. It suits you.”

“But your mom…”

“Would want you to have it. She would probably have made you several if she was still here. Keep it. I have others.”

Jim smiled and nodded. “Thanks.”

“Later this evening, when the children have settled, would you…I know it has been a while, but would you like to play a game of chess?”

“I would like that. I don’t have a board and I don’t think the cabin does…”

“It does. There were several board games in the closet of my room, including a chess set.”

“Oh, well then, we’ll play.”

“Jim?”

Jim and Spock turned away from one another and looked up to were T’Via stood on the second floor.

“Jim, JJ is in the bathroom naked,” she said. “He said he can take his own bath, dag nabit. I do not say dag nabit, he said it and I am repeating what he said.

Jim sighed and shook his head. “I’ll be right there.”

* * *

 

Two hours later, Spock sat in the passenger seat and tried not to look at Jim too much. That morning, seeing Jim in his old sweater, had pleased him greatly. He nearly grabbed Jim up and kissed him right there, but he restrained himself. He had too. It was not appropriate to do such a thing in front of the children. They must first discuss their feelings about each other and getting back together.

Spock looked forward to that night when they would have a chance to play chess.

“Alright, time for the festival,” Jim said, driving out of the driveway and onto the main road.

“What will we do first at the festival?” T’Via asked. “I have never been skiing.”

“I tried to snowboard last year down a hill,” JJ told her. “It was fun so I wanna try skiing.”

“You fell when you tried snowboarding," Jim said.

"But it was fun."

"Alright. I did pack everyone’s snow gear,” Jim said to Spock. “Skiing first?”

“Certainly. I have never been skiing either.”

Jim smiled at him and Spock once again wished to kiss him. When they were in a relationship he could kiss Jim anytime he wanted—the Vulcan way or the human way and Jim never minded, well, one time he did mind but only because there were Klingons present.

Instead, Spock look ahead at the road they were traveling down and then slowly moved his hand and placed it on Jim’s knee. Touching Jim in such a way caused a chill down Spock’s spine. His mind, the dormant bond, ached to touch actual skin and be complete.

He could feel Jim looking at him but Spock didn’t look back instead he squeezed Jim’s knee gently then removed his hand.

“Skiing will be fun,” Spock said.

“Oh yeah. Totally fun,” Jim agreed in an odd voice.

* * *

 

JJ laid in the snow and cried as Jim approached him. The boy had skied a foot then fallen over and immediately started balling.

“Buddy, you are okay,” Jim told his son.

“I’m not okay!” JJ cried.

Jim got out of his skis and unlatched his son from his. He picked up the crying child and held him. “You are okay.”

“No, I’m not. I’m dead.”

Jim walked to a nearby bench and sat down with JJ in his lap. He gently took off the boy’s helmet and looked him over. “I see nothing is broken. No limbs in awkward angles. No bumps or bruises.”

JJ sniffled.

“But I do agree, you’re dead.”

“I knew it,” JJ sobbed.

Jim chuckled and kissed his son’s forehead. He held him close and rocked him until he calmed down.

“Are you still dead?” Jim asked softly a few minutes later. “Because I would really love to have my JJ back and not a ghost JJ or a zombie JJ.”

JJ nuzzled against his dad’s neck. “What about a vampire?”

Jim lightly chuckled. “Not even a vampire JJ because a vampire kid would keep me up all night and sleep during the day.”

JJ pulled back and looked at his daddy. “I’m alive.”

Jim through his arms and let out a happy noise. “Yes! He’s alive!”

“Daddy,” JJ chuckled.

Jim put his arms back around his son. “How are you feeling?”

“I feel…that I don’t like skiing.”

“Yeah, neither do I.”

“Can we go tubing?”

Jim nodded. “Yes, we can go tubing. Just let me check on Spock and T’Via.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes?”

“You and Spock having been acting weird.”

“Acting weird how?”

JJ shrugged. “I dunno. Just weird. Like…you’re about to kiss or something.”

“We’re not about to kiss," Jim scoffed.  _Although, kissing would be nice. Spock does have quite soft...stop it, Jim._

“It seems like it and why don’t you want to kiss him? Isn’t he the husband you asked Santa for?”

Jim stared at his boy with wide eyes. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before finding his words. “Why…why…do you…think that?”

JJ looked away and Jim followed his line of sight. Spock and T’Via were skiing down one of the smaller slopes towards them. T’Via then pulled a JJ and fell down. Spock immediately tried to stop and ended up falling down himself before picking himself up and going over to T’Via.

“He’s nice,” JJ said. “And you already have a history with him.”

“I already have a history with him? Where did you learn that from?”

“Uncle Bones. He showed me your pictures.” JJ whispered, “There was one where you were kissing him.”

“Well he um…he used to be my boyfriend.”

“Then now you can be husbands if you used to be boyfriends.”

“Do you want him to be my husband because that would make him your other dad.”

JJ looked at Spock again. He was still with T’Via, making sure she was okay. “Yeah, I think he’d made a cool other dad.”

“That would mean T’Via would be your sister.”

JJ sighed. “I guess I can manage with a sister, but I wanna be the big brother.”

“If you are older then you can be the big brother. She may be the older one though.”

“Nu-uh, I’m the big brother.”

Spock and T’Via walked over, holding their skis.

“Hey, I saw you fall,” Jim said to T’Via. “Are you okay?”

“I am, but I do not like skiing. May we move onto another activity?”

“Tubing,” JJ said. “Let’s go tubing!”

One of T’Via’s brows went up. “What is tubing?”

* * *

 

Spock nearly laughed as he slid down the hill with JJ in his lap. The boy was laughing wildly. He threw his hands up and went ‘woohoo’. When they made it to the bottom and the tube came to a stop the boy continued to laugh and Spock couldn’t help but smile.

“That was fun! Let’s go again!”

“We will go again,” Spock agreed. They got off the tube and Spock carried it towards the lift. JJ grabbed his glove covered hand and tried to pull him along to make him walk faster. “JJ, we will get there when we get there.”

When they were on the lift, heading back up the mountain, Spock looked around and saw Jim and T’Via at the top waiting for them.

“We made it down faster than you two,” T’Via said once they were back together as a group.

“We need to race this time,” JJ said.

“I don’t think we can race with everyone else here,” Jim told them.

“Indeed, it is crowded,” Spock agreed with Jim.

“We can still race,” the kids said. Both took their tubes from the adults and headed back into the line to go back down the hill.

Jim shrugged in defeat. Spock walked beside Jim and placed his hand on the small of Jim’s back, leading him towards the kids. Jim leaned against his side.

“C’mon, slowpokes! We’re gonna race!” JJ called.

The made their way over to where their children were standing and waited in the line. When it came to their turn, JJ teamed up with Spock again and Jim was with T’Via. The attendant counted them down and at ‘go’, they started to slid down the hill.

Again, the boy laughed in his lap in merriment. Because they were close together, Spock also heard his little girl laughing and Jim too.

They zoomed down the hill and went they finally made it to the bottom and came to a stop, none of them cared who the winner was.

“That was so much fun!” T’Via exclaimed.

“Yes! Again!” JJ agreed.

* * *

 

After spending some more time tubing, the four went to a nearby diner for lunch before heading to the holiday village.

Spock kept his hand on the small of Jim’s back as they walked around.

“Its like a Dickens novel,” Jim said in awe.

“Affirmative.” The village square was indeed set up like it was straight out of a Christmas Carol. They walked to different shops and viewed the different items they had for sale and even bought a few things such as a antique-y looking tea set and some old books.

The kids managed to talk them into a few items—JJ a small wooden train and T’Via a Nutcracker.

Spock pointed to the ice rink in the middle of the village square. “Shall we?”

“Yes!” the kids said before taking off towards it.

“We should really put those kid leashes on them to keep them from running off,” Jim said.

“I tried one when T’Via was a toddler,” Spock replied. “She always managed to get out of it.”

Jim laughed. “JJ would have probably done the same.”

They walked up to the kids and found where to store their items while they skated. They rented skates and sat down on a bench to put them on.

“I do not know how to skate,” T’Via admitted.

“Have you ever roller skated?” Jim asked.

She shook her head.

“Do you have good balance?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Then I think you’ll have no trouble learning how to ice skate.”

“You may fall down though,” JJ spoke. “A lot. I did when I first went ice skating.”

“Which reminds me,” Jim said, looking to Spock. “We need to rent some helmets for them in case they fall.”

“Helmets are a logical idea,” Spock agreed.

After helmets were securely on their children’s heads, Jim and Spock proceeded to help them skate. JJ had already had some practice and seemed steady on his feet with his father skating beside him.

T’Via look a little bit more time to get her footing. She held onto the side of the rink, she held onto her father, and soon managed to get in between Jim and Spock, holding onto both their hands.

“Having fun?” Jim asked her.

She nodded. “Yes, fun.” She slipped a bit but Jim and Spock kept her from falling down. JJ skated shakily by them.

“Try on your own,” He told her. “You’ll stay up. I promise.”

T’Via nodded and hesitantly let go of Jim and Spock’s hands. Her arms flailed a bit as she skated out on her own.

“You can do it,” Jim encouraged her.

“Yes, ko-fu, you can do it,” Spock added.

T’Via steadied herself and soon was skating really well around the rink.

“Maybe you can be a figure skater as well as a ballerina,” Jim called out to her as she sped past several moments later.

“No!” She called back.

Jim laughed.

“She wishes to be a doctor at the moment,” Spock told Jim.

“That’s nice. Hopefully she will be one day.”

“Indeed.”

“Couples skate time! Couples on the ice only. All other skaters must leave the rink.”

Jim and Spock stopped skating and called out to the children.

“Why do we have to stop skating?” JJ asked. “I’m having fun.”

“Me too,” T’Via said.

“Its time for couples skate,” Jim told them. “We have to leave the rink.”

“That is not acceptable,” T’Via said.

“Yeah,” JJ agreed.

“We are a couple of kids, we should be allowed to continue to skate.”

Jim nodded. “Right, but you see,” Jim pointed at the real couples skating around, holding hands. “You two aren’t a couple couple.”

“Merely a technicality,” T’Via countered. He grabbed JJ’s hand and pulled him along. “We will continue to skate.”

“Yeah, we’re skating, daddy,” JJ spoke. “You and Spock should skate too.”

“Um…” Spock and Jim said together

“I repeat, it is time for couples skate. If you are not a couple, please leave the skating rink,” the announcer said again.

Jim gave the announcer booth a pointed look before holding his hand out to Spock. “Do you…” Spock grabbed his hand before Jim could finish his question. Their glove covered fingers laced together and they started to skate.

“This is nice,” Jim said.

“Indeed,” Spock agreed.

JJ and T’Via looked over their shoulders at their dads.

“Did you know that our fathers used to be romantically involved?” T’Via asked.

“Does that mean they used to be boyfriends?”

“Yes.”

“Then yeah, I knew that. My uncle Bones told me.”

“Who is this Uncle Bones?”

“He’s my daddy’s bestest friend.”

“And his name is Bones?”

“I think his really name is Doctor Bones, but I’m not sure.”

“I see. Back to the topic of our fathers. Do you think they should be boyfriends again?”

“I think they should be husbands. My daddy needs a husband.”

“My father needs a husband as well.”

JJ looked back at their dads then to T’Via. “What should we do?”

“I believe my father still loves your daddy.”

“And I think my daddy still loves Spock. We need to get them to tell each other that they love each other.”

“Affirmative, but how?”

JJ shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m only five. I don’t know everything.”

“Neither do I,” T’Via sighed.

“Perhaps we can get them to kiss under the mistletoe.”

“Mistletoe?”

JJ nodded. “Its this planet thing and you hand it up over a doorway. If you get caught under it with someone then you have to kiss them. It’s the rules.”

T’Via made a face. “What a horrible rule.”

“I know. I don’t like being kissed.”

“Neither do I, but I think it would work with our fathers. A few pictures I have seen of them they appear to be kissing in the human fashion.”

“Ew, but okay. We’ll get them under the mistletoe tonight.”

“Affirmative. We should also talk to them. I will talk to your dad and you can talk to my dad.”

“Sounds like a good plan,” JJ said.

* * *

 

After skating, T’Via wished to see the ice sculptures while JJ wanted to see the bears. Spock took JJ and Jim took T’Via.

“I was in the ballet _The Nutcracker,_ ” T’Via told Jim as they strolled through the display of ice sculptures. She was holding the nutcracker Jim and Spock had bought her earlier.

“You were?”

T’Via nodded. “I was not Clara. I am too young, but I did play child party guest three and one of Mother Ginger’s polichinelles.”

Jim smiled down at her. “I bet you were still the star of the show.”

T’Via’s cheeks tinted green. “No, but thank you.”

Jim put his arm around her and pointed out a sculpture. They walked over to it.

“It appears to be a dog on a dog house.”

“Its Snoopy.”

“Snoopy?”

Jim sighed. “I need to have a talk with your dad about your education and why you don’t know who Snoopy is.”

T’Via looked up at Jim. “My father is quite fond of you.”

Jim looked down at her. “I know. I’m quite fond of him as well.”

“You two were once romantically involved.”

“Well…I suppose…”

“No, it was a statement, not a question. My grandfather told me so and also my father has many pictures of you on his PADD as well as one in his bedside drawer. You are not wearing much clothes in that one though.”

“Oh god,” Jim coughed. He pulled at the collar of his jacket. “You…um…shouldn’t look through your dad’s stuff.”

“I know. Do you have pictures of him?”

“Yes, but he’s wearing clothes.”

“I would hope so. Do you love him?”

Jim walked them over to a nearby bench. They sat down and Jim fidgeted with his hands in his lap.

“It’s a simple question,” she said.

Jim smiled. “Its not, but you’ll learn that when you’re older. I…he and have a history. An intense history filled with ups and downs…”

“Do you love my dad?” She asked again.

Jim nodded. “I do. Always have, always will.”

“Then you should tell him that so you two can bond and marry in the human fashion.”

“You want me to bond with your dad?”

She gave a soft smile and nodded. “I do. When you are bonded then you will be my father as well, but as I call my father father or sa-mekh, what should I call you?”

“You just met me yesterday and you want me to be your dad?”

“Yes.” She cocked her head to the side and frowned. “Do you not want to marry my father and become my new dad?”

That broke Jim’s heart a bit. He put his arm around T’Via. “I do want to be your dad despite only knowing you a day. Before JJ came along I always thought having a daughter would be nice.”

“Well I am a very nice daughter to have. I am logical and smart…”

“And adorable.”

“Yes, that too. When will you talk to father about marriage?”

Jim chuckled. “Maybe tonight I will.”

“Good.”

“T’Via?”

“Yes, soon-to-be dad?”

Jim’s heart warmed at that and he hugged the little girl. “When’s your birthday?”

“By Terran calendar, my date of birth is March 20, 2272.”

“Oh boy.”

“What?”

“JJ wanted to be the big brother but you are actually two days older than him.”

“So I am the big sister?”

“If Spock and I bond…”

“ _When_ you and my father bond, I will be the big sister. I am okay with this as I would also like another little sibling. And a kitten.”

Jim shook his head and wondered what Spock and JJ were talking about.

* * *

 

“ _Our finest gifts we bring, pa rum pum pum pum_ ,” the animatronic bears sang.

“I like the bears,” JJ said. “They have bears like these at the mall in Riverside.”

“Do you like visiting your grandmother in Riverside?” Spock asked. They sat on a bench across from the singing bears.

“Yeah. Its cold there, though. I like the snow, but I like when its warm a little bit better.”

“As do I,” Spock agreed. “Vulcan is quite warm.”

“Uncle Bones says its hot as balls.”

Spock snorted. “I am sure he did.”

“Did you know I was in my school’s holiday play?”

“No, I did not. What was your role?”

“I was Rudolf!”

Spock nearly smiled. “I bet you were cute.”

“I was. I had a red nose and little antlers and a brown reindeer costume. I forgot some of my lines, though.”

“I am still certain you were still the star of the show.”

“I was.”

_He is just like his father,_ Spock thought. “I wish I had seen the play.”

“It was recorded. Daddy has a copy on his PADD. Maybe we can watch it later.”

“I would like that.”

JJ went quiet and gazed at the bears for a little while before looking up at Spock next to him. “Spock?”

Spock looked down at the boy. “Yes, JJ?”

“Do you love my daddy?”

.

.

.

“Spock, your eye is acting weird. Are you okay?”

Spock blinked a few times and nodded. “Yes, yes I am well.”

“Oh good. So do you love my daddy?”

“I…I do.”

JJ smiled brightly. “Do you want to be his husband?”

“Yes.”

“When you get married, can I be the big brother?”

“When is your birthday?”

“March 22, 2072.”

“T’Via is two days older than you.”

“Dag nabit!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a little under the weather. I am hoping to finish this story in time for Christmas but it may end up getting done for New Years instead.


	5. Oh Hanukkah, Oh Hanukkah

“What do you need to get?” Jim asked as he pulled into a parking lot at the big box store. They had just pulled the kids away from the holiday village and were pleased that they both fell right to sleep once they were buckled into the warm car. Once they had gotten on the road, however, Spock requested that Jim stop at the store.

“Things,” Spock merely said before hopping out of the car and heading into the store.

_Things?_ Jim thought. He shook his head and put on some light holiday music while he waited for Spock to return. He looked into the back seat and smiled at the sleeping kids.

_How is this going to work?_ Jim wondered. If he and Spock got back together, what would happen? Would he and JJ move to New Vulcan? Would Spock and T’Via move to San Francisco? Jim was enjoying his vice admiralty position even though me missed having a ship and being up in the stars. He didn’t know how Spock felt about his own position—would he give it up for Jim? Jim would give up Starfleet for Spock.

_And what about Sarek? Would he be alright alone? Would he come live with them?_ Jim had so many questions that he zoned out and didn’t zone back in until a tapping at the window caused him to nearly jump out of his seat.

“Jesus, Spock,” Jim fussed as he unlocked the vehicle. Spock merely arched a brow then put the bags he had in the trunk before getting back into the passenger seat. “What did you get?”

“Things,” Spock repeated.

“Illogical Vulcan.”

Spock shook his head and patted Jim on the knee. Jim forgot all his questions and now just wanted Spock to touch him again.

* * *

 

When they arrived back home, the children immediately woke up and wanted to build snowmen. Jim and Spock agreed to let them play outside for half an hour before they were to come in for the night. While the kids put on their snowgear again, with Jim’s help, Spock snuck the bags he’d bought upstairs to his bedroom.

He had not expected to run into Jim again nor was he expecting to meet and love little JJ so Spock did not have Hanukkah or Christmas gifts for them. Until now.

It wasn’t much, but Spock had taken note of a few items the previous day at the store and was able to get them that evening along with some wrapping paper and gift bags. He made quick work of putting everything together and hiding them in his closet before coming back downstairs.

He saw the kids were outside playing and found Jim in the kitchen starting dinner.

“You better be here to help me,” Jim said, giving Spock a pointed look. “Because I am not a housewife…househusband.”

_You will make a lovely husband soon though,_ Spock thought. He nodded at Jim and walked over to start helping.

While Jim dealt with checking on the brisket that he had put in the slow cooker that morning, Spock went to finish the challah bread that he’d made earlier and was letting rise.

Jim laughed when Spock took the dough out and saw how big it had risen. “I think it proofed just a tad too long.”

“I believe so as well. I will make two loaves then.”

“Good idea. I think there is a regular bread pan somewhere.” Jim left the brisket alone and opened up some drawers and cabinets until he found the bread pan and handed it to Spock. “Make the second one in that and I can use the bread for French toast in the morning.” As Spock took the pan, he let a finger gently trail along Jim’s causing a spark between them. They both jumped causing the pan to fall to the floor with a clang.

Jim licked his lips.

Spock stared at the sight before bending down and picking up the pan. “The brisket.”

“Right, right, brisket.”

Spock watched Jim out of the corner of his eye. _Soon, t’hy’la._

* * *

 

“I don’t wanna come inside,” JJ whined as he stomped onto the porch thirty minutes later. The sun was just starting to set.

“Neither do I,” T’Via said, giving two loud stomps as well. She ducked her head, though, when he father gave her a look. “Apologies,” she muttered.

“Its getting cold. Its supposed to snow again tonight,” Jim told them. “Its time to come inside and get warm before dinner.”

They helped their kids get out of their snow gear on the porch. JJ then took off into the house with T’Via following after.

“I think my child is a bad influence,” Jim told Spock. They scooped up the kids’ clothes and went back inside.

“Like father, like son,” Spock agreed.

“Hey, you were already sassy and a little rebellious before we met.”

“I am not sassy.”

Jim laughed and looked at Spock. “That’s horseshit, Mr. Spock.”

“Aw, daddy said a bad word,” JJ gasped.

Jim laughed some more and Spock’s heart warmed up. They put away the clothes in the hamper and Jim checked on the brisket.

Spock went and collected the Hanukkiah and the candles as well as his kippah. He placed the menorah on the dinner table.

“Kids,” Jim called them over. Jim stood next to Spock. “Should be maybe change the kids first?”

Spock glanced down at the kids. They were both wearing their thermal underwear and JJ appeared sweaty. “Mother once had me attend the lighting of the candles when I was sick and had not been out of bed for at least two days.”

“Alright, then. Light the candles.”

Spock put on his kippah and started the festival of lights. Spock lit the shamash candle first and said the first blessing. “Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu l’hadlik ner shel Hanukkah.”

The second blessing. “Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, she’asah nisim l’avoteinu, b’yamim haheim bazman hazeh.”

And then the shehecheyanu as it is the first night. “Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech Ha'olam, shehekheyanu, v’kiyamanu vehegianu lazman hazeh.”

“Daddy, what’s he saying?” JJ whispered.

“He’s saying the blessings and now he’ll light the candle,” Jim replied.

“The first candle is the shamash,” T’Via told him.

Spock picked up the shamash and lit the first candle on the left. He placed the shamash candle back in its slot then stepped away.

“Is that it?” JJ asked.

“Now Jim takes the hanukkiah and places it in the window sill,” Spock told him.

“Oh.”

Jim carefully picked it up then took it to one of the front windows and placed it on the sill.

“Now what?” JJ asked.

“Now, you can start to decorate the Christmas tree,” Jim told him.

“Yay!”

“After a bath.”

“No! I already had one today.”

Jim came back over to the group and stared down at his son. “You’ve been running around all day. You smell.”

“Nu-uh.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Nu-uh.”

“Uh-huh…okay enough of that,” Jim chuckled. “JJ, you need another bath. Mr. Spock will make sure you take one while I run to the store real quick.”

“Store?” Spock questioned.

“Yeah, I need things.”

Spock arched a brow. “Of course. Things”

Jim grinned at him. “Just make sure he gets a bath and doesn’t just wet his hair and play with his toys.”

“Affirmative. He will get his bath.”

“Good luck with that.” Jim grabbed his coat and keys then headed out of the door. Spock watched him leave before focusing back on the kids.

JJ smiled up at him. “I don’t need to be watched to take a bath.”

“Are you certain?”

JJ nodded. Spock was uncertain but he went upstairs with the boy. While Spock went into the bathroom to draw JJ his bath, JJ grabbed a towel and his pajamas from the bedroom. JJ came back into the room and placed the towel and clothes on the closed toilet seat lid.

“A quick bath,” Spock told him.

“Yep!”

“And I do not need to watch you?”

JJ shook his head. “Nope. I got this. Five minutes and I’ll be squeaky clean.”

“Good. I will be back in a few moments then.” And with that, Spock left the boy alone.

* * *

 

Fifteen minutes later, Spock had finished stringing up the lights on the tree while T’Via sat on the floor and watched. He’d given JJ a talking to about taking a bath and the boy assured him he would take one by himself and get clean. Spock believed him.

“When will JJ be done?” T’Via asked.

“He should be done now,” Spock replied, realizing he left the boy alone for too long. He walked upstairs and without knocking, opened the bathroom door. His eyes widened. The tub was still full of the water Spock had drawn for the boy but JJ was sitting on the floor with his toys and a lot of shaving cream on his face.

JJ smiled up at Spock. “I’m Santa!”

“James Tiberius,” Spock sighed. “You said you would take your bath.”

JJ blinked. “Oh, right. Was just about to do that.”

Spock shook his head. Fool me once…

* * *

 

Jim opened the front door and peaked inside. He didn’t see anyone so he quickly rushed into the house with his two big bags and headed into the master suite. He heard a noise in the bathroom as he quickly put the bags in the walk-in closet and shut the door.

He heard laughter this time from the bathroom and went inside only to stop and let out a little laugh. JJ and T’Via were in the giant jacuzzi tub sitting back to back with bath toys while Spock sat on the closed lid of the toilet seat with a PADD in his hands.

“What in the world?” Jim asked, stepping into the bathroom.

“Hi, daddy!”

“Hi, JJ. Why are you and T’Via taking a bath together?”

“Um…” JJ then shrugged.

“Because he can not take a bath without supervision,” T’Via spoke.

Jim grinned and looked to Spock. “He got you with the ‘I can do it myself’ line, huh?”

Spock nodded and put his PADD on the countertop. “Fifteen minutes he was alone in the bathroom. Did not get in the tub but instead…”

“Played with his bath toys on the floor?”

“And the shaving cream.”

Jim shook his head. “James Tiberius.”

“What?” JJ said innocently. “I was just about to take a bath before Spock came in.”

“Uh-huh. Right.”

“Its true, daddy. And now I gotta take a bath with a girl.”

Jim leaned against the counter top. “Yeah, I do feel sorry for T’Via.”

“Hey.”

“I feel sorry for myself as well,” T’Via agreed. She held up a rubber ducky toy. “I do find these toys pleasing though.” She squished it and water came out and landed on Spock. T’Via blinked then smiled slyly before going back to playing.

“Cuties,” Jim told Spock.

“Indeed. They are done now, though.”

“Oh good because dinner is ready.”

“Yay!” JJ stood up and climbed out of the tub.

"Nakedness," T'Via sighed.

“I’m starving. I’ll get my own plate.” Before the naked and wet JJ could leave the room Jim grabbed a towel and grabbed JJ up and into his arms.

“You gotta dry off first and then put on pajamas and then you can eat.”

“Dag nabit.”

* * *

 

After a delicious feast of lights dinner and cleaning it up, the quartet brought out all the Christmas decorations they could had brought and started to decorate the tree while eating the Hanukkah sugar cookies. The cabin also had an antique looking record playing with Christmas albums so Jim played that while they worked.

As the tree was so big and tall, Spock and Jim took care of putting the ornaments, candy canes, and other décor on the top while the kids worked where they could reach.

Jim found a real mistletoe plant in one of the bags and JJ made him put it up over the doorway leading towards Jim’s bedroom.

“No one is going to get caught under this here,” Jim told him even as he put it up.

“Then no one will get kissed,” JJ said.

Jim got down from the stepstool he was using and smiled at his son. “You are under it with me right now.”

JJ’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”

Before he could run away, Jim grabbed him into his arms and started planting kisses to the boys face.

“Daddy, stop it.”

“No, you are just so cute,” Jim said between kisses.

“Ugh! Spock help!”

“And just what is Spock going to do, huh?”

“You can kiss him instead,” JJ said.

The caused Jim to freeze and JJ got out of his grip.

“Yes, kiss Spock,” T’Via agreed. She grabbed her dad’s wrist and pulled him over to Jim. Spock could’ve easily stopped her but didn’t.

Jim straightened up as Spock was made to stand before him under the mistletoe. They stared at one another.

“Kiss someone your own size,” JJ said.

“Yes, your own size,” T’Via agreed. “Even though my sa-mekh is taller.”

“Under the mistletoe,” Jim said softly to Spock.

“Indeed.”

“We could just…um…turn on the kids instead.”

“No!” the kids said before running away.

“Or not,” Spock said before stepping closer, closing the gap between them. He took Jim into his arms and kissed him passionately. Jim sighed against his lips before kissing him back with fervor. It had been far too since they’d last kiss, last touched one another. All their nerve ends sparked and tingled and all Jim wanted was for the to touch more and more and…

“Ew, adult kissing is gross!” they heard JJ exclaim.

“Indeed, it is,” T’Via agreed. “Are they going to eat each other? Vulcan kissing is far more logical than that.”

Jim broke the kiss and buried his face in Spock’s neck, trying not to laugh at their kids. Spock rubbed his hands up and down Jim’s back and managed to kiss his neck without the kids seeing.

“Does this mean you’re getting married now?” JJ asked. The kids walked back over to them.

Jim pulled away slightly but still kept his arms around Spock’s neck and Spock’s arms stay around his waist. He looked at the kids.

“That is a grownup conversation Spock and I need to have alone,” he told them.

Spock nuzzled into Jim’s neck and muttered an agreement. Jim bit back a moan and reluctantly pushed away from Spock and out of his hold. Spock actually growled.

“That’s a funny noise,” JJ said.

“Sa-mekh does that when he is being protective,” T’Via told him.

“Alright, kids, I think its time for bed,” Jim announced.

“But its not even 8 yet,” they replied.

“Oh…well then…finish decorating the tree and we’ll watch a movie and then its bed time.”

“Okay!” they said before going back to the tree.

Spock stepped closer to Jim but Jim swatted the Vulcan’s hands away when he tried to grab Jim.

“No, not around the kids right now,” Jim told him.

Spock nodded and went back to helping decorating the tree. Jim took in deep breath then went to help as well.

When it was time to put the star on top, the kids played rock-paper-scissors to see who could do it and T’Via won. Spock picked her up so she could put on the top. They all stepped back from the tree and smiled at their work.

It was a mess of ornaments and decorations, but it was their mess.

* * *

 

Nearly two hours later, after the kids had demanded to stay up and watch a whole movie— _The Polar Express,_ Jim and Spock carried the sleeping kids from the living room up to their beds and tucked them in.

Spock kissed his daughter on the forehead then switched with Jim and kissed JJ while Jim kissed T’Via. They left the sleeping kids in the room, shutting the door behind them and made their way downstairs. Spock had brought down the chess set earlier and walked over it where it sat at the dinner table.

“Tea?” Jim asked.

“Certainly,” Spock replied. “Thank you.”

Jim nodded and went to get the tea while Spock set up the chess board. He positioned it so they were adjacent to one another—Jim sitting at the head of the table while Spock sat just to his left.

Jim came out of the kitchen several moments later with two tea cups and placed them on the table. He took a seat and smiled at Spock. Spock couldn’t help but smile back.

Spock sipped his tea and motioned for Jim to start. Jim picked up a white pawn and moved it a space.

“So,” Jim said.

“So,” Spock repeated.

“We need to talk.”

“Affirmative.” Spock moved a pawn as well, not really caring about the game, but he suspected Jim didn’t care either.

“I don’t think we should beat around the bush with the talk either.” Jim moved another pawn.

“No, we should not.”

Jim licked his lips and looked at Spock. “I miss you.”

“I miss you as well.”

"And I'm still in love with you."

"And I still cherish thee."

“But we both have lives on two different planets…two kids…” Spock shut him up but leaning over and kissing him.

“Spock,” Jim sighed when they broke apart. “I love you. I love you so fucking much. Always have, always will. I haven’t stopped thinking about you since the day we parted. My heart aches, my head hurts, my soul…fuck.” Jim shook his head. “What are we going to do?”

Spock reached out and caressed Jim’s cheek. He let his fingers brush against Jim’s meld points and relished in how Jim’s mind immediately called out to him and tried luring in him in. Jim’s eyes widen and he leaned into the touch.

“Ashayam, I love you. You are my t’hy’la, my heart, my las’hark. The day we parted was one of my biggest regrets but because of it I was able to have my daughter and you, your son, but now fate has brought us back together.”

“Isn’t fate illogical?” Jim couldn’t help but tease him.

“Not with us. Fate has always been on our side.”

Jim covered Spock’s hand with his. “Spock, what are we going to do? You and T’Via have a life on New Vulcan.”

“I have missed San Francisco,” Spock told him. “T’Via…she is much like I was as a child. She is not…she does not have many friends. Only a few so I do not think she would not be averse to moving to making friends on Earth. I can continue any research at Starfleet and continue to teach.”

“Oh…that’s nice but…what about your dad?”

“He would not be up for moving. He is settled on New Vulcan. As much as I would want him with me, he is more than capable of living on his own. He recognizes when he is having a medial emergency and has been diligent with getting the proper car so I do not feel I would worry too much about him being alone. I could also get a nurse to check in on him as well.”

“I’m sure he’d like that,” Jim chuckled. “Maybe get a cute nurse.”

“Indeed.”

“So what does this mean then?” Jim wondered.

“It means,” Spock stood up and took Jim’s hands, pulling him up as well. “That I want my mate back and T’Via and I will move to Earth to be with you. If that is what you wish?”

Jim nodded. He wrapped his arms around Spock and pulled him close. “I do wish.”

“Good.” Spock picked Jim up bridal style and proceeded towards the bedroom.

Jim laughed. “Spock, what in the world?”

“We have made up. We are reinstating our romantic relationship and moving in together in the New Year. Now, we,” Spock entered the bedroom and tossed Jim onto the large bed. “now, we will reacquaint ourselves with each other’s bodies.”

Jim snorted. “So, sex?”

Spock nodded and quickly tore off Jim’s clothes. “Indeed. Sex and then more talking. Tomorrow.”

Jim laughed before pushing at Spock and pinning the Vulcan under him. Spock arched a brow. “Been working out a lot. Gotten stronger.” Jim pointed out the abs he now had. “I may even be stronger…umf!”

Spock flipped them again and pinned Jim under him on his stomach with Spock pressed against his back. He kissed Jim’s neck and slowly peppered more kisses and little nips down Jim’s spine to the round, pert behind Spock had missed.

“Spock,” Jim moaned, arching and pressed his ass up.

Spock grinned before really familiarizing himself with Jim’s body.

* * *

 

Jim snuggled back into the warm, strong naked body behind him. Spock’s arms tighten around him and his face nuzzled into the back of Jim’s neck. Jim could feel lil Spock pressing against his backside. Perhaps they had time to do more reacquainting that morning.

“Morning,” Jim sighed happily before he even opened his eyes. He was sore in all the right ways and places after spending last night will Spock.

“Good morning, daddy and new daddy.”

Jim snapped his eyes open and found JJ and T’Via standing next to the bed looking at them. Jim pulled the covers up around him more, glad that they at least been covering from his stomach down.

Spock poked his head up from behind Jim and nodded at the children. “Good morning. Go back to bed.”

“It is after eight, sa-mekh,” T’Va said. “You and new dad have slept too long. We are hungry.”

“New dad?” Jim questioned then smiled and nodded. “Well we were tired from having to chase you two around yesterday.”

“Why are you sleeping naked?” JJ asked.

“We aren’t,” Jim told him even though it was a lie. “We have pajama bottoms on.”

“Okay. We’re hungry. Can we have French toast?”

Spock nodded. “I will make some shortly. Please leave.”

“Can’t you get up and make some now?” T’Via asked.

Jim and Spock exchanged a look before shaking their heads. “Um…no.”

"Why?"

"Because. So why don't you two go read or play dreidels until Spock and I are ready to make dinner."

"Okay," they said before leaving the room. 

Jim let out a sigh then pushed Spock away when he started kissing Jim's neck. "We gotta get up." Jim got out of bed and headed towards the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower and getting dressed. Good luck getting back to your room."

Spock watched Jim disappear into the bathroom before getting out of bed. He put on his clothes from the previous day and quickly left the room. 

"Sa-mehk, why are you wearing your clothes from yesterday?"

Spock ran upstairs. "No, I'm not." He said before shutting himself in his room.

JJ and T'Via exchanged a look. 

"Adults are weird," JJ said.

"Indeed," T'Via agreed. 


	6. Tiny Tots with Their Eyes all Aglow

Jim dressed for the day and grabbed the presents he’d bought the previous night. He left the room with them. In the kitchen he found Spock already there and starting to make French toast with what smelled like bacon. Jim's heart fluttered. The love of his life was making him bacon, what could be better?

“Daddy, daddy!” JJ came up to Jim and held up a book. “New daddy got me a book for Hanukkah. Its science experiments for kids!”

“Oh wow. Looks like a fun book,” Jim told his son.

“Uh-huh!”

T’Via held her book up. “Mine too! But mine is a little different.”

“But that’s okay,” JJ said. “We can make lots of stuff together from the books.”

T’Via nodded. She looked at Jim. “New daddy, Jim, sa-mekh also has a book for you.”

Spock stepped away from the stove and handed Jim a book. “For you, ashal-veh.”

Jim smiled and took it. “Thank you, babe.” Jim looked at the book and saw it was a hardcover edition of _A Christmas Carol_ that looked like a collector edition. “Wow, Spock. Thank you.”

“You are welcome.” Spock leaned forward and gave Jim a caste kiss.

“Ew, more kissing,” they heard JJ mutter.

Jim chuckled and placed the book on the island countertop. He then started handing out his presents which were also book. “I guess great minds think alike.”

“Apparently,” Spock agreed, holding the book Jim had given him. “Thank you.”

“I know its your favorite and that you have a ton of other copies of it, but this is a very pretty illustrated edition.”

Spock nodded and opened up his new copy of _Alice in Wonderland_ and flipped through the pictures. Jim turned to the kids who waited patiently for theirs.

Jim gave JJ a children’s book about a pug named Pig while T’Via was given a book about a ballerina named Ella Bella.

“Thank you!” they said before running off to sit with their new books. Jim watched them for a few moments before turning back to Spock. He stepped closer as Spock put his book down.

“Morning.”

“Morning,” Spock replied. Spock held out two fingers to Jim who happily met them.

“I think we have more talking to do today.”

“Affirmative, but for now, breakfast.”

* * *

 

While they sat and ate French toast and fruit, Jim decided to start some of the talk with the kids. He and Spock sat across the dinner table from the kids.

“Daddy, guess what today is,” JJ said.

“I believe it is Christmas Eve,” Jim replied.

“Yeah and Santa is coming tonight!”

“And will bring us presents,” T’Via spoke.

JJ grinned and looked at his daddy. “Santa already brought daddy his present.”

Jim felt his cheeks warm as he shook his head.

“Oh, he did?” T’Via asked. “What is it?”

“A husband!”

“That is right!” she agreed. She pointed at Jim and Spock. “You two are bondmates now!”

“Not yet,” Spock told them. “We will be soon. Right now, we are boyfriends.”

“So, you’re not my new dad yet?” JJ asked a bit sadly.

“No, he is,” Jim assured him.

“Yes, I am,” Spock agreed. “You may call me father or sa-mekh.”

“And I’m dad or daddy,” Jim added.

“Daddy,” T’Via tried with a smile.

“Sam-eek,” JJ tried with a giggle. “That sounds weird.”

“It is sa-mekh,” T’Via told him. “Sa-mekh.”

“Sam-mech?”

T’Via shook her head. “You should just say Father.”

“Father!”

Jim chuckled and Spock smiled a bit.

“T’Via, Jim and I spoke a bit last night. Would you…would you want to move and live in San Francisco?”

“Yes, I would.” T’Via looked at Jim. “Is your residence large enough for me, father, you, JJ, and grandfather?”

“Um, well,” Jim said, scratching the back of his head. “I have three rooms. Mine, JJ’s, and a spare I use for an office and library. I was thinking you could have the spare and…”

“Grandfather needs a room to himself. He cannot share with you and father or JJ.”

With a look of horror on his face, JJ said, “I’m not sharing my room with an old person.”

Spock shook his head and looked at his daughter. “T’Via, I do not believe grandfather will want to move from New Vulcan. He has his duties there and his doctors. It may be best for him to stay there.”

T’Via looked at her father sadly. “But he will get lonely.”

Spock’s heart fluttered. Jim touched his hand under the table and Spock let his shields down. He felt Jim’s love and support. “He will not be lonely, ko-fu. I promise. But, to be sure, you can ask him when we return if he would like to move with us.”

“And if he does,” Jim spoke. “Then we can get a bigger house or…a starship.”

JJ and T’Via’s eyes lit up. “Starship?”

“Jim…” Spock tried but Jim waved his hand in dismissal at him.

“I always wanted to take out one of the new family ships for a mission,” Jim continued. “Maybe now I can. We can all go.”

“Yes!” the kids shouted.

Spock laced his fingers with Jim. “A starship would be pleasant.”

“Damn straight.”

“Daddy, that is a bad Uncle Bones word,” JJ told him with a shake of his head.

“Sorry.”

* * *

 

After breakfast, they wrangled the kids into their snow gear and joined them outside.

They managed to make a family of snowmen before Jim found any excuse to throw snowballs at Spock and make the Vulcan chase him around in the snow.

“You are two silly,” JJ said.

“Are we?” Jim asked his boy.

“Yep.”

Jim laughed then grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it gently at JJ who let out a happy shriek before engaging his father in a snowball fight.

T’Via joined in on Jim’s side and Spock on JJ’s. Soon they had their bases and mounds of snowballs they were pelting at each other.

“I think we will have to surrender,” T’Via said after a while. Spock and JJ were throwing snowballs like crazy at their base.

“Never give up, never surrender!” Jim told her. He grabbed a snowball and stood up. As he prepared to throw it, one shot out from the other side and hit him square in the face.

“We surrender!” T’Via announced while Jim wiped the cold snow from his face.

“Hey!” Jim fussed only to have another snowball hit him. He looked towards JJ and Spock’s base. “Hey! We surrendered!”

“Take no prisoners!” JJ called back before more snowballs started flying at them.

T’Via let out a squeak and started to run. Jim grabbed a few snowballs and hurled them back before running after T’Via. Jim found a tree and hid behind it while T’Via found another.

T’Via glanced around the tree and saw her new daddy behind another across the yard.  Jim made a hand signal for her to stay put before sneaking behind another tree.  T’Via couldn’t help but smile. This was the first real game she’d played with other people and she was having fun despite her earlier surrender. It was just that the snow was cold and wet.

She turned to look around the other side of the tree.  Peaking around it, she let out a squeak at seeing her sa-mekh there.  She tried to run away only to have Spock grab her up in his arms.

Spock smiled lightly as T’Via squirmed in his hold and laughed.  Spock kissed her cheek. “Got you, ko-fu.”

“I do not want to play snowball fight anymore,” she said. “It is too cold.”

“Indeed, it is. How about we…” A snowball his Spock upside his head. He slowly turned his head and found Jim standing there grinning.

“One moment, T’Via,” Spock said, releasing his daughter. He then took off after Jim who immediately tried to run away.

Jim did not make it very far when Spock tackled him gently to the ground and shoved handfuls of snow down his jacket.

“Hey! Cold!” Jim laughed.

“Get them!” JJ called out suddenly.

Jim and Spock barely had time to react when JJ an T’Via jumped on top of them and started tossing snow onto them.

“Cheaters!” Jim said.

“Sneaky cheaters,” Spock agreed. He and Jim sat up and picked up their children. T’Via in Jim’s arms and JJ in Spock’s.

“I think its time to go inside and relax a bit,” Jim sighed. “I’m pooped from all the running around.” _And its cold and I’m sore._

“Aw, but daddy,” JJ whined. “I wanna stay out in the snow.”

“Buddy, its cold and we don’t want you to catch a cold.”

“Either of you,” Spock added, looking between the kids. “Let us go inside and get warm. We can watch a movie and enjoy a hot lunch before our evening activities.”

JJ and T’Via’s eyes lit up. “Santa!”

* * *

 

The new family spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon inside in front of the fireplace watching Christmas movies and taking a nice, long nap. Spock, of course, did not nap, but instead took the time to take a few pictures of Jim sleeping with the kids. After he sent one of the pictures to his father, he wrapped the presents he had bought upstairs until his comm went off.

“This is Spock,” he answered.

“Spock,” his father’s voice came. “I see things have progressed with James.”

“Indeed. We have rekindled our relationship.”

“And?”

“Pardon?”

“Are you bonded?”

“No. Not yet.”

Spock heard his father sigh. “Spock, I am pleased you two are back together, but you must bond.”

 _I know._ “We will soon. We still have much to discuss. T’Via is open to moving here and living in San Francisco with Jim and JJ. She does not wish, however, for you to be lonely, however.”

“I will not be lonely. You and her will thrive on Earth. I wish to stay here on New Vulcan where I am needed.”

“Understood. You will explain it to her, though.”

“I shall. You must…”

“Bond with Jim,” Spock finished. “I know. Father, it is starting to seem like this whole trip was somehow…planned.”

“Of course, it was planned.”

_Father!_

“You planned it by contacting the travel agent and rental agency,” Sarek continued.

Spock internally sighed. “Indeed, I did. What I meant was…did you…did you have any help in Jim and I being here together?”

He heard his father sigh again before saying, “Yes, Spock, I contacted Nyota and Doctor McCoy and we planned this whole trip to get the two of you together. That sounds exactly like something I would do, does it not?”

Spock shook his head. “No, it does not. I apologize for being illogical.”

“Thank you. When can I expect more grandchildren?”

“Goodbye father.” Spock said before quickly adding that he’ll call him again at Christmas and hung up. Spock went downstairs after making sure all presents were wrapped and tucked away. He found Jim and the kids—their kids, still sleeping where he left them. _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_ was winding up on the tv screen. Spock figured he’d let them sleep a little while longer before waking them.

He took another picture as now the kids had turned and were cuddled up on either side of Jim, nestled against his chest. It was a damn cute sight. He sent that picture to Nyota who replied with several smiley faces, hearts, and what appeared to be wedding symbols. His family and friends were illogical.

* * *

 

A few hours later, after the nap and a snack, and watching Charlie Brown’s Christmas, the new family loaded up in the SUV and headed back into town.

As they were passing the holiday village, the kids kicked the back of Jim and Spock’s seats.

“Hey, dads, what’s the big idea,” JJ said. “Why aren’t we seeing Santa?”

“Yes, we wish to see Santa,” T’Via added. “But you have driven past the holiday village. Explain.”

Jim looked at Spock beside him and chuckled. “They want us to explain, Spock.”

Spock looked back at the children. “As your parents, we do not have to explain anything.”

JJ stuck his tongue out at Spock and T’Via copied him. Spock stuck his tongue back out at them before turning around in his seat.

“We want Santa! We want Santa!” the kids started chanting.

Jim and Spock exchanged another look.

“Kids, we are going to see Santa,” Jim told them without looking away from the road.

“This is not the way to Santa,” JJ said.

“It is.”

“It isn’t.”

“It is.”

“It isn’t.”

“James Tiberius,” Jim said.

“James Tiberius,” JJ repeated.

“James Tiberius Sr. and James Tiberius Jr.,” Spock said, looking between them. “Behave.” In return, both Sr. and Jr. stuck their tongues out at him.

“My new family is illogical,” T’Via said.

Before anymore chanting or tongues sticking out, Jim pulled off the main road and drove into a parking lot.

“Where are we?” T’Via asked.

“You’ll see,” Jim replied with a grin.

They all got out of the car and Jim and Spock led them through the parking lot to their destination.

The kids’ eyes widened in excitement as an old train appeared before them. As they approached, one of the train conductors met them.

“Welcome,” she said with a smile. She held a PADD in one hand. “Reservation name?”

“I believe it under Kirk. I didn’t make the reservation myself, a travel…”

“Kirk party of four,” the conductor interrupted, looking at her PADD. “Two adults and two children.” She held the PADD down after tapping at the screen. She looked at the children whose eyes were still wide and staring at the train.

“All aboard, the Polar Express,” she said to them. “Destination, North Pole and Santa’s village.”

JJ and T’Via looked up at their dads like this was a dream.

The conductor then handed the kids two gold tickets and told them not to lose them. “You can make your way to the front VIP car and find your seats.”

Jim nodded in return. He and Spock usher the kids down to the front car and got them aboard. The car was partially full with other families but they managed to find a booth to sit in. Jim and Spock sat on one side while the children took the other.

“Oh, my goodness,” JJ finally spoke. “We’re going to the North Pole to see Santa!”

“I am quite excited,” T’Via said. “I have never been on a train before or to the North Pole or to see Santa. This is,” instead of finishing her sentence she let out a happy noise that would be illogical from any other Vulcan child.

“And you two doubted where we were going,” Jim told them with a slight shake of his head. “Do you want to go back to the holiday village?”

“No!” they both replied loudly.

The train soon came to life and began to move towards their destination. After a while, many of the kids in their car became antsy sitting around, including theirs, and were allowed to walk around the car and converse.

Staff members came by with collector cups of either hot chocolate or apple cider causing the children to get back to their seats. JJ drank his hot chocolate while T’Via enjoyed her apple cider. Sugar cookies were brought as well and while everyone enjoyed their treats the conductor came by and punched their tickets.

Soon, though, the effect of the chocolate and cookies wore off and the kids were back up out of their seats and hanging around. Jim took the opportunity to lean against Spock’s side. Spock wrapped his arm around Jim and held him close, kissing his temple as he did.

“I love you,” Jim said softly.

“Taluhk nash-veh k’dular, t’hy’la.”

Jim turned his head slightly to look at his mate. “Tell me what that word means.”

“It means you.”

“Spock, you told me that before. What’s it really mean?”

“T’hy’la. Friend, brother, lover, soulmate.”

“We’re soulmates?”

“Affirmative.”

“And yet we still broke up. Twice.”

“It was an error on both our parts.”

“No shit. Good thing you are stuck with me now.” Jim cuddled closer. “Not letting you go. Or T’Via. You’re all mine and JJ’s now.”

Spock smiled and tightened his hold on Jim. “As you are mine as is JJ and T’Via.”

Jim chuckled. “I do recall how ‘mine’ was your favorite word to keep people away from me or to say during your time.”

“Well as you are mine, it is a logical word to use.”

“And the growling?”

“Also, logical.”

“Of course.” Jim took Spock’s hand and held it. “It still tingles.”

“Pardon?”

“When we touch, it tingles and sparks. It’s always done that. Ever since the time you tried to strangle me. Why’s it do that?”

Spock kissed Jim’s temple again. “We will discuss it later.”

“Alright.”

* * *

 

Twenty minutes later, the train came to a stop and everyone shuffled off. They waited patiently in another line and soon found themselves on a sleigh ride towards Santa’s village. The two horses that pulled their sleigh were gorgeous and the driver was dressed like one of Santa’s elves.

They all sat together on one side of the sleigh with a large, cozy blanket over their laps as the horses led them along a path through the woods that was illuminated every few feet with a candy cane light. Soon they heard Christmas music playing and came to a small Christmas village.

Five cabins sat nestled in the clearing. The cabins were decked with Christmas lights, tinsel, garland, and other decorations.

“Oh wow!” JJ breathed.

“Santa’s village,” T’Via said in awe.

Jim and Spock exchanged a look. Both silently thinking that it was cool but so fake. The sleigh stopped and the kids excitedly jumped out.

“Santa, Santa, Santa,” JJ jumped up and down and chanted.

“Yes, Santa. I want to meet Santa,” T’Via agreed.

Jim and Spock exited the sleigh and took hold of their children. An ‘elf’ pointed them towards Santa’s workshop where they could meet him and off they went.

The line to see Santa was a short one. Jim and Spock held hands and tried to keep the kids calm. Jim spotted a few shops that you could peruse and buy stuff.

 _Probably expensive though,_ Jim thought.

“Indeed,” Spock said in agreement.

Jim shot him and look then shook his head, remembering how when they were dating Spock could pick up on his loud thoughts when they touched.

 _Love you, Spockums,_ Jim tried.

Spock squeezed his hand. “Please do not call me that.”

 _Spockums, babe, honey bunny, pooh-bear_ Spock let go of his hand, but Jim continued thinking, _smootchums, SpockoBear, sweet chee…_ “Ow!”

Jim rubbed his butt where Spock had pinched him. He looked at Spock with narrowed eyes.

“Daddy, what’s wrong?” JJ asked.

“Nothing,” Jim replied.

“Then why are you touching your posterior?” T’Via questioned.

“Yes, Jim, why are you touching your posterior?” Spock asked with a smug smirk on his face that Jim just wanted to kiss away.

Jim stopped touching his butt and pinched Spock in the side.

“Next to see Santa,” an elf called.

“That’s us!” JJ and T’Via called. The kids took off ahead of them and entered Santa’s office. Jim and Spock followed, entering the room and seeing Santa sitting in a big red chair. A camera operator was set up just across from Santa.

 _Of course,_ Jim thought.

“Ho ho ho!” Santa said.

JJ didn’t hesitate to sit next on Santa’s knee. T’Via looked at her fathers unsure of what to do. Spock picked her up gently and sat her down on Santa’s other knee.

“How about a family picture first and then you two can tell me your Christmas wishes,” Santa told the kids.

“Okay,” they replied.

“I do not…” Spock tried to back away from taking a picture but Jim grabbed him and made him sit down on the side with JJ and Jim sat down on T’Via’s side.

“Say Merry Christmas,” the photographer told them.

“Merry Christmas!”

The photo was snapped and Spock quickly got up and moved away. Jim chuckled and recalled that once when Spock was a toddler his mother took him to see Santa at a mall in Seattle. Poor little Spock had been so frightened of the jolly fat man that he ended up crying and running away, hiding in under a pile of dresses at a nearby clothes stores. It appeared Spock had yet to get over it.

“Daddy, you and father gotta leave so T’Via and I can talk to him privately,” JJ said.

“Yes, please leave now,” T’Via agreed.

“Fine, fine, we’ll leave, but Santa tells us everything,” Jim told her. Spock took Jim’s hand and pulled him out of the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will not be done for Christmas. RL got hectic this week and my writing stalled. I do have another chapter finished for Christmas Eve that I will post tomorrow sometime :)


	7. One More Sleep Until Christmas

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is still Christmas Eve where I live so Merry Christmas Eve if you are reading this on the 24th and Merry Christmas if you read this on the 25th!  
> Also, Happy Holidays! Seasons Greetings! Happy Hanukkah!   
> Live Long and Prosper!

Once Jim and Spock had left, JJ and T’Via turned to Santa.

“Thank you for giving my father a mate,” T’Via said.

“Yes, thank you. My daddy really needed a husband,” JJ agreed.

Santa blinked then nodded. “You both are most welcome. Now, what else can I bring you tonight? My elves are still hard at work for another few hours.”

“Can your elves make me a kitten?”

“And a puppy!” JJ added.

“Oh, I’m afraid not. Puppies and kittens are not gifts that can be made. Stuffed animals, yes, like bears and…”

“Hippopotamuses?”

“Yes.”

T’Via smiled. “I would like a stuffed hippopotamus please.”

“I don’t want one,” JJ said. “How about a baby brother? Can I have one of those?”

Santa chuckled. “Babies take time to make. How about some Legos?”

JJ shrugged. “Legos are fine or a stuffed lion like the one at Cracker Barrel. That was really cool.”

“But maybe next year a baby brother or a sister,” T’Via told Santa.

“We shall see. Now you both need to go to bed early tonight so I can stop by your house and bring you your gifts.”

“We will!”

“And you also get a bell from my sleigh.”

An elf walked up and handed the kids a golden colored bell each. They shook their bells and were happy that they could hear it jingle. They gave Santa a hug before running out of the room and immediately finding their dads kissing again under some mistletoe.

“Daddy and sa-muck, stop it.”

“Sa-mekh,” T’Via corrected.

Jim and Spock stopped kissing and turned towards their kids. They were shown the bells and the kids were delighted that Jim and Spock could hear them jingle.

Jim took JJ away from T’Via and Spock. “Hey, buddy, there are some shops here. Do you want to pick something out for Spock and T’Via?”

JJ nodded.

At the same time, Spock was asking T’Via the same question who also nodded in agreement. Jim and Spock exchanged a look and went on their separate ways with their kids to find presents.

Jim lead JJ around the first store until something caught Jim’s eye and he briefly parted from his son. Jim found pajamas for all of them that he just had to buy. Luckily, they had their sizes so Jim grabbed the four pajamas and then realized JJ wasn’t standing with him.

“JJ!”

“Here!” his sons voice called from the other side of the store. Jim made his way through the small crowd inside the store and found JJ looking at a display of mugs. JJ picked one from the shelf at his level and held it up to his daddy.

“I want this for father.”

Jim chuckled. “That says _Number 2 Dad_ , JJ. I think you want one that says Number One Dad.”

JJ shook his head. “I can read, daddy, and I want this one because new father is my second dad so he’s number 2 dad.”

He was about to argue with his son about getting another mug but JJ gave him a very Kirk look and Jim chuckled again. Arguing with a Kirk was futile. Instead he said, “A logical choice then.”

“Yes, because I’m Vulcan now,” JJ said matter-of-factly.

Jim ruffled his son’s hair and told him he was indeed Vulcan now and just too adorable. “Now, what about T’Via?”

“I wanna get her a hippo,” JJ said. “She really wants a hippo.”

Jim knelt down in front of his son and smiled. “I know, that’s why I got her one last night.”

JJ frowned. “Dag nabit.”

“No, buddy, you can give it to her.”

JJ perked up. “Really?”

Jim nodded. “Yep. So, let’s go buy this stuff and then wait for your father and sister by the s’mores area.”

JJ’s eyes went wide. “S’mores?”

* * *

 

Spock followed T’Via around in one of the other stores. Every so often she would stop and look at an item then shake her head and move on. Spock found it cute.

“Does Daddy wear a watch?” T’Via asked.

“He does not.”

Spock heard his daughter say ‘dag nabit’ under her breath as she moved on to another item.

“What is this, Sa-mekh?”

Spock looked at what T’Via was pointing at. “It appears to be a,” Spock didn’t know what it was. He picked up the box that went with it. “a desktop wood slingshot.”

“What is a slingshot?”

“It is a kind of projectile weapon which is used to launch small things, such as paper or rocks.”

“Would daddy like it?”

Spock thought back to their time on the Enterprise. There were a few instances were Jim would throw small objects across the bridge or mess hall in jest at someone or to get Spock’s attention.

Spock nodded. “He is a kid at heart, so yes, I believe he would like it.”

T’Via smiled softly. “I would like to get the one in the box please.”

“Perfect. What would you like to get JJ?”

“He mentioned a giant stuffed lion from Cracker Barrel where I found the hippopotamus. May I get him that?”

“I purchased a similar one that you may give him tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Sa-mekh!”

“You are welcome. We should buy the slingshot then find Jim and JJ.”

* * *

 

After luring the humans away from the s’mores making, they took the horse drawn sleigh back to the train. They didn’t have to wait long before the others came back to the train and they were taken back to the station and to their waiting car.

On the drive home, JJ started complaining that he was really hungry which prompted T’Via to do the same. Instead of wanting to wait for to have lasagna at home, JJ pointed out a Denny’s restaurant they were about to pass.

Jim had thought this would finally be a year without eating Denny’s for Christmas Eve dinner, but he was wrong. T’Via wanted more breakfast for dinner as did JJ so the kids won and Jim and Spock took them to Denny’s.

* * *

 

When they did arrive home, they managed to wrangle the kids inside and away from playing in the smore.

Jim put the bag he’d brought in down and pulled out the pajamas he had bought.

“What do you think?” Jim asked, holding his and Spock’s up while the kids took theirs and ran upstairs to change.

Spock’s brown eyes trailed over the clothing. “No.”

“Aw, c’mon, Spock.”

“No.”

“Don’t you want to be Papa Bear?”

Spock arched a slanted brow. The pajamas Jim had brought came with red plaid pants and a gray raglan shirt with black sleeves. Each one Jim held up said ‘Papa Bear’ on the tops with a bear in a Santa hat on it as well.

“No.”

“But Spock. We’re Papa Bears and the kids are our baby bears.”

Spock merely stared at his mate. Jim stepped closer and brought out his signature puppy dog look. The look that Spock could never seem to say no to even if he tried.

“Jim,” Spock sighed.

“C’mon, Spock. If you wear it then I’ll be your naughty bear later.”

Spock took the offered pajamas and nodded. “Agreed.”

Jim chuckled. “But by later I mean tomorrow night because we can’t get caught naked in bed again. Its Christmas Eve, the kids will be up at dawn tomorrow.”

“Affirmative.”

Jim and Spock went into the master suite and managed to change without getting handsy.

“Hey, there are some Christmas socks you can put on to go with the outfit in the top drawer” Jim told him before leaving the room to check on the kids.

Spock went to said dresser and opened the top drawer. A pair of socks with nutcrackers on them were on top, new with the tags still on. Spock figured Jim had bought them for him. He grabbed them and as he was about to shut the drawer a wooden piece caught his eye. He opened the drawer a bit more and moved away Jim’s underwear to find a wooden box sitting in the drawer. He recognized it from the previous five-year mission. Spock recalled that Jim had bought it to keep keepsakes in.

Spock knew he shouldn’t but he couldn’t help but open the box and look inside. He found pictures of the two of them together and even one of Jim and his elder counterpart, a piece of torn cloth from a blue science uniform—no doubt his, a couple ticket stubs from events they’d gone together, and their Starfleet insignia pins.

Spock touched each item before coming to a box in the box. Spock knew what kind of box it was. He slowly picked it up and opened it.

* * *

 

After changing into their new pajamas, which the kids loved, the family said the second blessing of Hanukkah, lit the next candle, and then Jim placed the Hanukkiah in the window sill in the front of the cabin.

They then broke apart and wrapped some gifts before coming back together and snuggling up on the couches to watch _The Santa Clause._

When the children conked out halfway through the movie, Jim and Spock carried them to bed and tucked them in.

Jim came back downstairs and ate some of the cookies left for Santa before getting the rest of the presents and putting them under the tree. Spock did the same before they sat on the couch together.

“Merry Christmas, Spock.”

“It is not Christmas yet, Jim.”

“Oh. Then Merry Christmas Eve and Happy second night of Hanukkah.”

“Same to you.”

Jim leaned his cheek against the back of the couch and smiled at Spock. His blue eyes twinkling in happiness. “Can’t believe you’re here and we’re back together.”

Spock scooted closer and trailed two fingers along Jim’s hand. Jim turned his hand over so they were touching palm-to-palm “We were bound to find each other again.

“Because we’re soulmates?”

“T’hy’la, yes. Our bond cannot be broken or denied.”

.

.

.

“What?” Jim asked, sitting up from his leaning position and moving his hand away.

Spock blinked. “Pardon?”

“Spock. Our bond?”

Spock blinked again.

“Spock, did you say out bone cannot be broken? Why did you say that? Are we…are we bonded?”

“We may be…a little bit…partially…bonded.”

Jim stared at Spock for a few moments before blinking and saying, “What?”

Spock touched Jim’s hand again. “A little bit bonded.”

“Spock,” Jim hissed. “How long?”

“Um…since my last time.”

Jim raised a brow. “What about your first time?”

“I had enough presence of mind to shield and prevent a bonding, but I was unable to last time. A partial one formed. I buried it, deep down and kept it shielded from you.”

“Why?”

“You may have agreed to see me through my times, but we had never talked of bonding. When it was all over with and done, our second five-year mission had come to a close and we parted ways mutually.”

“But we were bonded. Vulcan married, Spock. You gotta tell someone when that happens! I…I felt you. I felt the bond…my head would hurt or feel weird and I thought it was you but you never…ugh,” Jim grabbed a throw pillow from the couch and hit Spock with it. “You gotta tell a guy when you’re Vulcan married!”

“I apologize for my mistake, Jim. I was a fool.”

“No, well, yes you were a bit, but I was too. We both broke up. It was mutual.” Jim licked his lips and scooted closer. “So, we’re partially bonded?”

“Yes.”

“Can you make us fully bonded?”

Spock stared at him then slowly nodded. “Yes.”

“Now?”

Spock nodded. “I shall.” As he reached his hand out towards a smiling Jim, the blonde suddenly remembered something and backed away.

“Wait, I need to get something first to make this all…complete. Just a minute.” Jim jumped from the couch and ran into the bedroom. He pulled open the drawer and took out his box. He sat it on top of the dresser and opened it, but the little box…the box he’d had in there for eight years was gone. _What the? No, no, no._

Jim pulled the drawer back open and tossed out all his socks and underwear. He looked under, behind, and at the sides of the dresser but didn’t see the box.

“Dag nabit!”

“Jim, please come out here.”

“Just a minute!”

Jim continued to look until Spock called him again. With a heavy heart Jim trudged out of the room.

“I was going to…” Jim started but stopped when he saw the lights were out in the room except for the Christmas tree and fire in the fire place. Soft Christmas music came from the record player and Spock was on kneeling on a blanket in front of the fire holding the box Jim had been looking for.

Jim approached. His heart warming up and started to bit a little faster. “Spock. Spock, you…sneaky Vulcan.” He came to a stop in front of the kneeling Vulcan.

“I apologize for going through your items, but I do not regret finding these. You also have some explaining to do.”

Jim grinned and took the box from Spock. He kneeled in front of Spock and took out on of the rings from the box and handed the other to Spock.

“I wanted to do this,” Jim said.

“Now we can do it together,” Spock replied.

They held out their rings to one another—both platinum bands with a small Vokaya gem Jim had found at a market some years ago and had set in the bands.

“Spock, whose full name I could never pronounce correctly, will you finally marry me?” Jim asked.

“Yes.”

Jim slipped the ring onto Spock’s ring finger, thankful that Spock’s ring size hadn’t changed since he’d secretly taken it.

“James Tiberius Kirk Senior.”

Jim snorted lightly.

Spock took Jim’s hand. “Will you finally do me the honor of finally becoming my husband and bondmate?”

“Gotta out do my proposal, huh?”

“Jim.”

Jim grinned and nodded. “Yes, Spock.”

Spock went to slip the ring onto Jim’s ring finger but it had trouble going past Jim’s knuckle. Jim made a face and pulled his hand away.

“We’ll get that fixed.”

“Indeed,” Spock agreed. He put the ring back in the box then pulled Jim close. “T’hy’la, may I complete our bond?”

Jim kissed Spock on the lips then replied, “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

“Daddy, that’s a bad word!”

Jim and Spock looked up and found their children standing at the top of the stairs staring at them.

“You two need to be in bed,” Spock said.

“We did not get a bedtime story,” T’Via said. “Are you two married now?”

“Almost,” Jim replied. “Go back to bed.”

“Story!” JJ demanded. “And who ate Santa’s cookies?”

Jim ducked his head into Spock’s neck. “This was almost the perfect proposal.”

“I find it is indeed perfect for us.”

Jim kissed Spock neck before they both stood up and went upstairs to tuck their children back into bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think there will be one last chapter to wrap everything up :)  
> I hope to have that done by New Years


	8. Wonderful Christmastime

Spock woke up to a fluttering in his head. He smiled and caressed the bright golden bond that ran from his mind to Jim’s. The fluttering came back.

_Morning, Spock,_ Jim said through the bond.

_Good morning, Jim._

_I wish I was next to you right now._

_I wish that as well. Why must we be so far away._

_The kids._

Spock opened his eyes and turned his head. A small blonde head was next to him. Next to JJ was T’Via and her wild head of curls and finally, on the other side of the bed lay Jim on his side staring at him.

“Merry Christmas, Spockums.”

“Merry Christmas, Jimums.”

Jim snorted. “Don’t call me that again.”

“Do not call me Spockums.”

Jim stuck his tongue out before reaching across the bed and holding out two fingers to Spock. Spock met them in a Vulcan kiss. He added a mental kiss as well and smirked when Jim’s cheek tinted red.

“Don’t do that,” Jim chuckled. “We’ve got kids here. You gotta wait for our bonding night festivities until tonight when they are in their own room.”

“I am aware. I just…the bond is beautiful and I never want to leave it alone.”

“Stop talking,” JJ muttered, turning over and cuddling against Spock.

“We’re trying to sleep,” T’Via agreed.

Jim propped himself up using his elbow with his head in his hand. “Okay, we’ll let you sleep.”

Spock propped himself up as well. “Yes, we will. You two may sleep while daddy and I play with all the toys Santa brought.”

Two pairs of eyes shot open—one blue, one brown. The kids sat up and started jumping on the bed.

“Its Christmas! It’s Christmas!”

“Santa came! Santa came!”

“Presents!”

The kids then jumped off the bed and ran out of the room. Jim took the opportunity to scoot over to Spock and cuddled against him. Spock held him close and kissed his forehead.

“I hate that I will have to return to New Vulcan next week without you,” Spock said.

“It’ll be a short trip, though, so you and T’Via can move in with JJ and I.”

“And then we can, perhaps, take them on a mission.”

Jim kissed Spock’s neck. “I plan on bugging the admirals about it as soon as I get home.”

“Good.”

“DAD! DADDY! Come on! Time to open presents!” T’Via called from the living room.

Jim pulled away from Spock and patted him on his stomach. “C’mon, the kids want to open presents.”

“Our kids.”

Jim smiled down at Spock who smiled back. “Yes, our kids.”

* * *

 

An hour later, Spock sat on the couch surrounded by scraps of wrapping paper, drinking tea from his new favorite _Number 2 Dad_ mug _._

A ball of wrapping paper hit him on the side of his head. Spock internally sighed and turned to look at the person next to him as another piece hit him on his bicep.

“Must you?”

Jim grinned and grabbed another piece of wrapping paper and hit him with it using his new wooden slingshot. “I must.”

_You are lucky that I love you, ashayam._

_I know._

Jim hit Spock again with a wad of wrapping paper before putting the slingshot down and standing up. The kids were at the dining table putting together the Lego sets they had received. He walked over and stood over his children.

“Did ya’ll have a good Christmas?”

“Yes, I got lots of stuff I asked for,” JJ said. “Except for a bike and a puppy.”

“There may be a bike in your room when we get home.”

JJ looked up at his dad. His eyes sparkled. “Really?”

Jim nodded. “Really.”

“What about a puppy?”

“Nope.”

“Dag nabit.”

Jim chuckled then looked at T’Via who was looking back at him. “What about you, my little princess? Did you have a good Christmas?”

T’Via’s eyes twinkled as well. She nodded. “Affirmative. I received what I was hoping for, minus a kitten.”

Spock appeared next to her. She turned her attention to him.

“Is there a kitten waiting for me at home?”

“Nope,” Spock replied.

“Dag nabit.”

“How about some pancakes for breakfast?” Jim asked.

“Blueberry please,” T’Via replied.

“Chocolate chip please,” JJ replied.

“Coming right up,” Jim said.

* * *

 

Once breakfast was done and the family was dressed for the day, the doorbell rang. Jim and Spock exchanged a confused look before both heading towards the front door.

Jim opened it and let out a happy ‘hey!’ seeing Bones, Carol, and the twins standing there as well as Sarek, Uhura, and Scotty.

“What the hell are ya’ll doing here?” Jim asked, motioning for them to come in and shutting the door behind them all.

“Indeed, what the hell?” Spock said.

Bones grinned. “Well we had to come make sure our plan had worked.”

“Plan?” Jim and Spock questioned.

“Uncle Bones! Aunt Carol!” JJ ran over in excitement. T’Via followed, shouting about her grandfather and Nyota. They stopped between their dads.

“What are you doing here?” T’Via asked.

“Plan?” Jim questioned again.

“Indeed, a plan, to get the two of you back together,” Sarek spoke. His eyes went down to Spock’s left hand. “As there is a ring on my son’s finger, I take it the plan has been successful.”

“Why don’t you have a ring, Jim” Bones asked.

“It wouldn’t fit on my finger,” Jim replied. “But seriously! A plan! You all…Scotty, even you?”

Scotty laughed. “Nope, wasn’t in on it, Jim. Just here to spend time with Ny. Ya’ll got any food?” and with that, Scotty headed towards the kitchen.

“Told you you need to lay off the bacon,” Bones told Jim. “Making you fat.”

“I’m not fat, I’m fit and toned.”

Bones gave him a yeah right look before focusing on Spock. “I bet you’ve seen him unclothed by now. What do you think. Fit or fat?”

“Bones,” Jim groaned.

“No comment,” Spock replied while thinking that Jim would still look lovely with a little more plumpness to him.

_Excuse you, I’m staying fit and toned,_ Jim told him.

_Understood, but if you did gain a few extra pounds, I would still love you._

“Why are ya’ll so quiet?” Bones asked with an arched brow.

“Oh, I bet they’ve bonded!” Uhura said with a clap of her hands.

Jim nodded. “Yep, happily bonded now. He’s in my head just as much as I’m in his.”

“Vulcan voodoo,” Bones muttered.

T’Via grabbed Jim’s wrist then and pulled him a few feet towards Sarek. “Grandfather, this is my new daddy, Jim,” T’Via said.

“We’ve met,” Jim said. “It’s nice to see you again, Sarek. Are you the master mind of all of this?”

“I planned it,” Bones spoke up. “After getting those spam vacation messages myself, I called that Q guy and he helped set this all up. I was tired of seeing my best friend alone.”

“I have JJ.”

“And JJ is great, but he needed another dad and you needed a husband. Specifically, Spock. I contacted Sarek who was immediately on board.”

Sarek nodded. “Affirmative. I have thought for some time that Spock should still be with Jim. T’Via also needed another parent.”

“Father,” Spock sighed. “You said you were not…you said you had nothing…dag nabit.” Spock sighed. “Thank you. Thank you all.”

“You’re welcome,” Nyota replied. “You two breaking up the first-time suck. The second time was just wrong but now, third times the charm.”

Spock wrapped his arm around Jim’s waist and pulled him close. “Yes, indeed, but no more break-ups.”

Jim wrapped an arm around Spock as well and nodded. “Yep, we’re stuck together forever now. Thank you all. We really did need this push back together.”

Bones and the group replied with ‘you’re welcome’ to the newly bonded couple.

“When’s the wedding?” Carol asked as JJ went over to Sarek.

“Are you my new grandpa?” JJ asked, looking up at the older Vulcan.

Sarek thought this little blonde human boy was just as adorable as T’Via. “Yes, I am. You may call me…”

“PawPaw! That’s what I’ll call you.”

“Actually, I would prefer…”

“Daddy! I have a new PawPaw!” JJ turned back to Jim and called.

“I see that. Did he bring you and T’Via a Christmas present?”

JJ and T’Via crowded around Sarek while the twins ran over to the Christmas tree and grabbed up JJ and T’Via’s stuffed animals.

“PawPaws are supposed to bring presents,” JJ said.

“Yes, they are,” T’Via agreed.

Sarek arched a brow then pulled out two wrapped gifts from his suitcase he’d brought. The kids tore into them.

Spock couldn’t help but internally chuckle at seeing JJ’s face when he unwrapped a pair of socks. T’Via was more receptive to the gift, however, as she was used to logical presents. JJ did thank his new PawPaw before his attention turned to the twins.

“Hey! That’s my lion!” JJ fussed.

“And my hippo!”

“No, ours!” the twins said.

“Girls, you already opened your Christmas presents at home,” Carol told her daughters. “Those are not yours.”

“No, ours!”

“Terrors,” JJ muttered.

“I see what you mean,” T’Via said to JJ.

* * *

 

After getting everyone settled, Jim was pleased to find out that only Sarek was staying for the remainder of the vacation to get to know JJ more. They spent the rest of the day hanging out and catching up. Jim and Spock said they didn’t have a wedding date chosen yet, but would make it soon. Spock hoped it coincided with his next time so he and Jim could take an extended honeymoon.

The group even had a fun time playing outside in a big snowball fight. Sarek sat on the porch and played the part of the ref but favored T’Via’s team and ended up with snowballs pelted at him.

When evening started to come, Nyota and Scotty, and Bones and his family had to take off. They were beamed there just for the day and had dinner plans elsewhere. Hugs were given all around. Even Spock gave some hugs before they departed. They even managed to wrangled the stuffed lion and hippo from Amelia and Sarah.

Jim then prepared their Christmas dinner with help from Spock while Sarek watched _A Christmas Story_ with his grandchildren. Every so often Jim peaked at them on the couch and smiled.

“This has been a wonderful day,” Jim commented.

“It has been,” Spock agreed. “My father and our friends were a much welcome surprise.”

“Indeed.”

“But I would like, soon, time alone with you. Just the two of us.”

Jim sidled up against Spock’s side and reached down to grabbed that ass with his hand. Spock gave Jim a smirk in return.

“Well, with your dad here we can have him entertain the kids tomorrow at the holiday village. We can stay in bed all nice and cozy by ourselves.”

“That does sound pleasant, but I feel leaving my father alone…”

“Its what grandparents are for, Spock. When my mom visits, she disappears all day with JJ and I managed to get some naps in, clean the house, get work down, bring a guest over…” Spock growled at that and nipped at Jim’s jaw. Jim laughed and nudged Spock away. “Just kidding on the second part. Or we could go into town just the two of us and have a nice date.”

“Both options are satisfactory. I love you, Jim. I love you and JJ with all my heart.”

“Ditto.”

Spock raised a brow.

“I love you and T’Via so freaking much, Spock.” He kissed Spock on the lips. “Like I said before, we’re stuck together now. Forever.”

“Daddy! When’s dinner? I’m starving!” JJ fussed.

“So am I,” T’Via added.

“You two better not be kissing again!”

Jim and Spock laughed before continuing with dinner prep.

* * *

 

“When shall I except more grandchildren?” Sarek asked Jim as he helped clean up after dinner later. Spock had taken the kids into the master suite for another bath as they had played outside earlier.

Jim nearly dropped the plates he was holding. He blinked at his new father-in-law. “Um…I don’t…what?”

“The egg donor Spock used had two more eggs available that Spock has access too,” Sarek said. “It would be a shame to waste them.”

“Um…what?”

“Think about it. You and Spock are still young…”

“I’m forty-four.”

“I had Spock when I was sixty-five.”

“Well…okay…but you’re Vulcan and age differently.”

“Says the human that came back to life with the aid of augmented blood. You may be forty-four, but you look at least a decade younger as does Spock. You two also act much younger than you appear to be.”

Spock came into the room. “They are bathed and in their pajamas.”

Jim turned to Spock. “Your dad wants more grandkids.”

“Father, cease. Jim and I will have more when the time is right.”

Jim gaped at Spock. “What?”

“We will discuss it later,” Spock merely said.

_Ding dong_

“I will get…” Spock was about to say he would get the door but Jim interrupted that he would and ran past him.

_More kids? Seriously? Well...okay, another one or two would be nice…they would be part Vulcan…maybe with my eyes…oh that would be adorable. Wonder if Daphne will give us an egg for Spock to use and then the kids could each have a half-sibling from the same mom._

_Sounds perfect,_ Spock interrupted Jim’s loud train of though. B _ut let us wait until after a new mission to make any arrangements. Perhaps then you would be receptive to carrying…_

_If that sentence ends with insinuating I’ll carry a child in me, you will be sleeping on the couch alone for the next year with absolutely no sex._

_._

_._

_._

_Jim, the door has rung again._

_Yeah, that’s what I thought._ Jim made it to the door and opened it. He blinked seeing no one standing there. He poked his head out and looked around. No one was there. He shrugged and was about to shut the door when a noise alerted him to look down.

A box sat on the porch with two small, furry occupants. Each had a loosely tied ribbon around their necks with tags that said from Santa Q. Jim’s eyes widened. “Oh no.”

"Jim, what is wrong?" Spock asked, coming to stand next to Jim. Spock immediately saw what was wrong and adorably cute in the box. "Oh no."

“Daddy, who is there?” T’Via asked.

“Is that a box?” JJ wondered.

“It is nothing!" Spock replied. 

"Yep, it is nothing! There is noth…” Jim was too late. The kids had pushed by him and Spock and seen the box and its occupants.

“A PUPPY!”

“A KITTEN!”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The End!  
> Thank you all for reading and commenting on my holiday story! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are most appreciated :)


End file.
